Whole seed specific promoter

ABSTRACT

The present invention is concerned with the provision of means and methods for gene expression. Specifically, it relates to a polynucleotide comprising an expression control sequence which allows for seed specific of a nucleic acid of interest being operatively linked thereto in plants. Furthermore, vectors, host cells, transgenic plants and methods for expressing nucleic acids of interest are provided which are based on the said polynucleotide.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/265,205, filed Oct. 19, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,519,458, which is a national stage application (under 35 U.S.C. § 371) of PCT/EP2010/055362, filed Apr. 22, 2010, which claims benefit of European application 09158449.0, filed Apr. 22, 2009.

SUBMISSION OF SEQUENCE LISTING

The Sequence Listing associated with this application is filed in electronic format via EFS-Web and hereby incorporated by reference into the specification in its entirety. The name of the text file containing the Sequence Listing is 74040_0076_01_593697_SL The size of the text file is 132,661 bytes, and the text file was created on Oct. 31, 2019.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of means and methods for gene expression. Specifically, it relates to a polynucleotide comprising an expression control sequence which allows for seed specific expression of a nucleic acid of interest being operatively linked thereto in plants. Furthermore, vectors, host cells, transgenic plants and methods for expressing nucleic acids of interest are provided which are based on the said polynucleotide.

The production of transgenic plants is a fundamental technique of plant biotechnology and, thus, an indispensible prerequisite for fundamental research on plants, and for producing plants having improved, novel properties for agriculture, for increasing the quality of human foods or for producing particular chemicals or pharmaceuticals. A basic prerequisite for transgenic expression of particular genes in plants is the provision of plant-specific promoters. Various plant promoters are known. The constitutive promoters which are currently predominantly used in plants are almost exclusively viral promoters or promoters 30 isolated from Agrobacterium such as, the cauliflower mosaic virus promoter CaMV355 (Odell et al. (1985) Nature 313:810-812). As product concepts and transgene modes of action get more complex, constitutive expression is no longer the optimal desired expression pattern. E.g., while manipulation of stress-induced genes may play an important role in improving plant tolerance to stresses, it has been shown that constitutive expression of stress-inducible genes has a severe negative impact on plant growth and development when the stress is not present (Kasuga et al, (1999) Nature Biotechnology 17(3):287-291). Therefore, promoters driving expression which is temporally- and/or spatially-differentiated are desired.

In grain crops of agronomic importance, seed formation is the ultimate goal of plant development. Seeds are harvested for use in food, feed, and industrial products. The utility and value of those seeds are determined by the quantity and quality of protein, oil, and starch contained therein.

Monocot plant seeds can be considered as being comprised of two main compartments: the germ or embryo which comprises the progenitor cells of the plant that will develop from the seed, and the endosperm which serves as a sink of nutritive components (particularly stored starch, proteins and oil) that are consumed during seed germination and early plantlet development. Dicot plant seeds are comprised of mostly the germ portion, as the nutritive function in developing dicot plants is provided from extra-seed nutritive stores.

Many promoters have been identified and characterized that are capable of driving transgene expression in various combinations of spatial and temporal expression patterns. Also, some promoters which govern expression in plant seeds are known in the art. The known promoters govern expression in parts of plant seeds or in the entire seed. For example, promoters of seed storage proteins were shown to drive expression pivotally in the seed. These include promoters of phaseolins (U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,200, Bustos M. M. et al., Plant Cell. 1989, 2(9): 839-53), 2S albumin (Joseffson L. G. at al., J. Biol. Chem. 1987, 262: 12196-12201), legumin (Shirsat A et al., Mol Gen Genet. 1989, 215(2): 326-331), USP (unknown seed protein; Biumlein H, et al., Molecular & General Genetics 1991, 225(3): 459-67) napin (Stalberg K., et al., L. Planta 1996, 199: 515-519), saccharose binding protein (WO 00/26388) or LeB4 (Bäumlein H. et al., Mol Gen Genet 1991, 225: 121-128). A cryptic promoter with specificity for the capsule was identified in tobacco by “T-DNA tagging” (Fobert P. R. et al., Plant Journal 1994, 6(4): 567-77; U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,863; WO 99/53067).

Seed-specific promoters which direct expression in the entire seed, and thus in both the endosperm and the embryo, are only described for dicots, rather than for monocots. The only available promoters for whole seed expression in monocots are constitutive promoters which do express in both major seed compartments, but also drive transgene expression in most or all other tissues.

However, means and methods for reliably governed expression of nucleic acids of interest in the entire seed of monocots are not yet available and are highly desirable.

Thus, the technical problem underlying this invention may be seen as the provision of means and methods which allow for complying with the aforementioned needs. The technical problem is solved by the embodiments characterized in the claims and herein below.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a polynucleotide comprising an expression control sequence which allows for seed specific expression of a nucleic acid of interest being operatively linked thereto in plants, said expression control sequence being selected from the group consisting of:

-   -   (a) an expression control sequence having a nucleic acid         sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3;     -   (b) an expression control sequence having a nucleic acid         sequence which is at least 80% identical to a nucleic acid         sequence shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3;     -   (c) an expression control sequence having a nucleic acid         sequence which hybridizes under stringent conditions to a         nucleic acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3;     -   (d) an expression control sequence having a nucleic acid         sequence which hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequences located         upstream of an open reading frame sequence shown in any one of         SEQ ID NOs: 4, 6 or 8;     -   (e) an expression control sequence having a nucleic acid         sequence which hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequences located         upstream of an open reading frame sequence encoding an amino         acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 5, 7 or 9;     -   (f) an expression control sequence having a nucleic acid         sequence which hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequences located         upstream of an open reading frame sequence being at least 80%         identical to an open reading frame sequence as shown in any one         of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 6 or 8, wherein the open reading frame encodes         a seed protein;     -   (g) an expression control sequence having a nucleic acid         sequence which hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequences located         upstream of an open reading frame encoding an amino acid         sequence being at least 80% identical to an amino acid sequence         as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 5, 7 or 9, wherein the open         reading frame encodes a seed protein;     -   (h) an expression control sequence obtainable by 5′ genome         walking or by thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain         reaction (TAIL-PCR) on genomic DNA from the first exon of an         open reading frame sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs:         4, 6 or 8; and     -   (i) an expression control sequence obtainable by 5′ genome         walking or TAIL PCR on genomic DNA from the first exon of an         open reading frame sequence being at least 80% identical to an         open reading frame as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 6 or 8,         wherein the open reading frame encodes a seed protein; and     -   (j) an expression control sequence obtainable by 5′ genome         walking or TAIL PCR on genomic DNA from the first exon of an         open reading frame sequence encoding an amino acid sequence         being at least 80% identical to an amino acid sequence encoded         by an open reading frame as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 5, 7         or 9, wherein the open reading frame encodes a seed protein.

The term “polynucleotide” as used herein refers to a linear or circular nucleic acid molecule. Preferably, it encompasses DNA molecules. The polynucleotide of the present invention is characterized in that it shall comprise an expression control sequence as defined elsewhere in this specification. In addition to the expression control sequence, the polynucleotide of the present invention, preferably, further comprises at least one nucleic acid of interest being operatively linked to the expression control sequence and/or at least one a termination sequence or transcription. Thus, the polynucleotide of the present invention, preferably, comprises an expression cassette for the expression of at least one nucleic acid of interest.

Instead of a nucleic acid of interest or in addition to the nucleic acid of interest, at least one expression cassette can also comprise a multiple cloning site and/or a termination sequence for transcription. In such a case, the multiple cloning site is, preferably, arranged in a manner as to allow for operative linkage of a nucleic acid to be introduced in the multiple cloning site with the expression control sequence. In addition to the aforementioned components, the polynucleotide of the present invention, preferably, could comprise components required for homologous recombination, i.e. flanking genomic sequences from a target locus. However, also contemplated is a polynucleotide which essentially consists of the said expression control sequence.

The term “expression control sequence” as used herein refers to a nucleic acid which is capable of governing the expression of another nucleic acid operatively linked thereto, e.g. a nucleic acid of interest referred to elsewhere in this specification in detail. An expression control sequence as referred to in accordance with the present invention, preferably, comprises sequence motifs which are recognized and bound by polypeptides, i.e. transcription factors. The said transcription factors shall upon binding recruit RNA polymerases, preferably, RNA polymerase I, II or III, more preferably, RNA polymerase II or III, and most preferably, RNA polymerase II. Thereby the expression of a nucleic acid operatively linked to the expression control sequence will be initiated. It is to be understood that dependent on the type of nucleic acid to be expressed, i.e. the nucleic acid of interest, expression as meant herein may comprise transcription of RNA polynucleotides from the nucleic acid sequence (as suitable for, e.g., anti-sense approaches or RNAi approaches) or may comprises transcription of RNA polynucleotides followed by translation of the said RNA polynucleotides into polypeptides (as suitable for, e.g., gene expression and recombinant polypeptide production approaches). In order to govern expression of a nucleic acid, the expression control sequence may be located immediately adjacent to the nucleic acid to be expressed, i.e. physically linked to the said nucleic acid at its 5′end. Alternatively, it may be located in physical proximity. In the latter case, however, the sequence must be located so as to allow functional interaction with the nucleic acid to be expressed. An expression control sequence referred to herein, preferably, comprises between 200 and 5,000 nucleotides in length. More preferably, it comprises between 500 and 2,500 nucleotides and, more preferably, between 1,000 and 1,500 nucleotides. As mentioned before, an expression control sequence, preferably, comprises a plurality of sequence motifs which are required for transcription factor binding or for conferring a certain structure to the polynucleotide comprising the expression control sequence. Sequence motifs are also sometimes referred to as cis-regulatory elements and, as meant herein, include promoter elements as well as enhancer elements. The expression control sequence of the present invention allows for seed specific expression and, thus, comprises cis-regulatory elements which can recruit RNA polymerases in said tissue as to enable tissue-specific transcription of nucleic acids operatively linked to the said expression control sequence. Preferred expression control sequences to be included into a polynucleotide of the present invention have a nucleic acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3.

Further preferably, an expression control sequence comprised by a polynucleotide of the present invention has a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequences located upstream of an open reading frame sequence shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 6 or 8, i.e. is a variant expression control sequence. It will be understood that expression control sequences may slightly differ in its sequences due to allelic variations. Accordingly, the present invention also contemplates an expression control sequence which can be derived from an expression control sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3. Said expression control sequences are capable of hybridizing, preferably under stringent conditions, to the upstream sequences of the open reading frames shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs. 5, 6 or 8, i.e. to the expression control sequences shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs.: 1 to 3. Stringent hybridization conditions as meant herein are, preferably, hybridization conditions in 6×sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC) at approximately 45° C., followed by one or more wash steps in 0.2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 53 to 65° C., preferably at 55° C., 56° C., 57° C., 58° C., 59° C., 60° C., 61° C., 62° C., 63° C., 64° C. or 65° C. The skilled worker knows that these hybridization conditions differ depending on the type of nucleic acid and, for example when organic solvents are present, with regard to the temperature and concentration of the buffer. For example, under “standard hybridization conditions” the temperature differs depending on the type of nucleic acid between 42° C. and 58° C. in aqueous buffer with a concentration of 0.1 to 5×SSC (pH 7.2). If organic solvent is present in the abovementioned buffer, for example 50% formamide, the temperature under standard conditions is approximately 42° C. The hybridization conditions for DNA:DNA hybrids are preferably for example 0.1×SSC and 20° C. to 45° C., preferably between 30° C. and 45° C. The hybridization conditions for DNA:RNA hybrids are preferably, for example, 0.1×SSC and 30° C. to 55° C., preferably between 45° C. and 55° C. The abovementioned hybridization temperatures are determined for example for a nucleic acid with approximately 100 bp (base pairs) in length and a G+C content of 50% in the absence of formamide. Such hybridizing expression control sequences are, more preferably, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94% at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99% identical to the expression control sequences as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs.: 1 to 3. The percent identity values are, preferably, calculated over the entire nucleic acid sequence region. A series of programs based on a variety of algorithms is available to the skilled worker for comparing different sequences. In this context, the algorithms of Needleman and Wunsch or Smith and Waterman give particularly reliable results. To carry out the sequence alignments, the program PileUp (J. Mol. Evolution., 25, 351-360, 1987, Higgins 1989, CABIOS, 5: 151-153) or the programs Gap and BestFit (Needleman 1970 J. Mol. Biol. 48; 443-453 and Smith 1981, Adv. Appl. Math. 2; 482-489), which are part of the GCG software packet (Genetics Computer Group, 575 Science Drive, Madison, Wis., USA 53711 version 1991), are to be used. The sequence identity values recited above in percentage (%) are to be determined, preferably, using the program GAP over the entire sequence region with the following settings: Gap Weight: 50, Length Weight: 3, Average Match: 10.000 and Average Mismatch: 0.000, which, unless otherwise specified, shall always be used as standard settings for sequence alignments.

Moreover, expression control sequences which allow for seed specific expression can not only be found upstream of the aforementioned open reading frames having a nucleic acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs. 4, 6 or 8. Rather, expression control sequences which allow for seed specific expression can also be found upstream of orthologous, paralogous or homologous genes (i.e. open reading frames). Thus, also preferably, an variant expression control sequence comprised by a polynucleotide of the present invention has a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequences located upstream of an open reading frame sequence being at least 70%, more preferably, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94% at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99% identical to a sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 6 or 8. The said variant open reading shall encode a polypeptide having the biological activity of the corresponding polypeptide being encoded by the open reading frame shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs.: 4, 6 or 8. In this context it should be mentioned that the open reading frame shown in SEQ ID NO: 4 encodes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 5 and, preferably, encodes a seed protein. The open reading frame shown in SEQ ID NO: 6 encodes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 7 and, preferably, encodes a seed protein, more specifically, a tonoplast intrinsic protein 3-1. The open reading frame shown in SEQ ID NO: 8 encodes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 9 and, preferably, encodes a seed protein.

Also preferably, a variant expression control sequence comprised by a polynucleotide of the present invention is (i) obtainable by 5′ genome walking or TAIL PCR from an open reading frame sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 6 or 8 or (ii) obtainable by 5′ genome walking or TAIL PCR from a open reading frame sequence being at least 80% identical to an open reading frame as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 6 or 8. Variant expression control sequences are obtainable without further ado by the genome walking technology or by thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction (TAIL-PCR) which can be carried out as described in the accompanying Examples by using, e.g., commercially available kits.

Variant expression control sequences referred to in this specification for the expression control sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, preferably, comprise at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, or all of the sequence motifs recited in Table 4. Variant expression control sequences referred to in this specification for the expression control sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, preferably, comprise at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50 or all of the sequence motifs recited in Table 9. Variant expression control sequences referred to in this specification for the expression control sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 3, preferably, comprise at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50 or all of the sequence motifs recited in Table 10.

Examples for preferred variant expression control sequences are shown in SEQ ID NOs: 120, 121, and 122 (variants of SEQ ID NO:3), in SEQ ID NOs:123 and 124 (variants of SEQ ID NO:2), and in SEQ ID NOs: 125, 126, and 127 (variants of SEQ ID NO:1). Compared to the corresponding expression control sequences, the aformentioned variants (as shown in SEQ ID NOs 120 to 127) do not comprise start codons (ATG). The starts codons are either replaced by BVH or by BVH plus a stop codon between any two start codons (according to the IUPAC nomenclature: B represents C or G or T, V represents A or C or G, and H represents A or C or T). Thus, variant expression control sequence may be obtained by mutating putative start codons as described above. Further examples for variant expression control sequences are shown in SEQ ID NOs: 129, 130, and 131 (variants of SEQ ID NO: 1). The aforementioned expression control sequences do not comprise short open reading frames showing homology to toxic or allergenic peptides or polypeptides (see Example 3).

It will be understood that non-essential sequences of the expression control sequence of the invention can be deleted without significantly impairing the properties mentioned. Delimitation of the expression control sequence to particular essential regulatory regions can also be undertaken with the aid of a computer program such as the PLACE program (“Plant Cis-acting Regulatory DNA Elements”) (Higo K et al. (1999) Nucleic Acids Res 27:1, 297-300) or the BIOBASE database “Transfac” (Biologische Datenbanken GmbH, Braunschweig). By such measures, variant expression control sequences as specified above can be artificially generated. Moreover, processes for mutagenizing nucleic acid sequences are known to the skilled worker and include, e.g., the use of oligonucleotides having one or more mutations compared with the region to be mutated (e.g. within the framework of a site-specific mutagenesis). Primers having approximately 15 to approximately 75 nucleotides or more are typically employed, with preferably about 10 to about 25 or more nucleotide residues being located on both sides of a sequence to be modified. Details and procedure for said mutagenesis processes are familiar to the skilled worker (Kunkel et al. (1987) Methods Enzymol 154:367-382; Tomic et al. (1990) Nucl Acids Res 12:1656; Upender et al. (1995) Biotechniques 18(1):29-30; U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,224). A mutagenesis can also be achieved by treatment of, for example, vectors comprising the expression control sequence of the invention with mutagenizing agents such as hydroxylamine. Mutagenesis also yields variant polynucleotides of the invention as specified above.

The expression control sequence comprised by the polynucleotide of the present invention allows for a seed specific expression. Particularly, said expression control sequence allows for specific expression in both the embryo and endosperm of the seed and, thus, in the whole seed. Thus, “seed” as used herein refers, preferably, to endosperm and embryonic tissues. Preferably, the expression control sequence according to the present invention allows for seed-specific expression in all stages of seed development (e.g. in maize seeds up to 35 to 40 days after pollination, see Examples). Moreover, the expression control sequence may also allow for expression in pollen (see Examples). “Specific” in the sense of the invention means that the nucleic acids of interest being operatively linked to the expression control sequence referred to herein will be predominantly (i.e. preferably) expressed in the indicated tissues or cells when present in a plant. It will be understood that an exclusive expression in a tissue is usually not achieved by a tissue specific promoters. Rather, a tissue specific promoter seems to be preferably switch on in some tissues, while nevertheless having still some background activity in other tissues. This phenomenon is known as leaky expression. However, with specific expression in this invention is meant predominant expression in the plant tissue referred to herein. A predominant expression as meant herein is characterized by a statistically significantly higher amount of detectable transcription in the said tissue or cells with respect to other plant tissues. A statistically significant higher level of expression is, preferably, an amount being at least two-fold, three-fold, four-fold, five-fold, ten-fold, hundred-fold, five hundred-fold or thousand-fold of the level found in at least one of the other tissues with detectable transcription. Alternatively, it is an expression in the indicated tissue or cell whereby the level of expression in other tissues or cells is less than 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 10% or, most preferably, 15% of the overall (whole plant) level of expression. The level of expression directly correlates to the amount of transcripts (i.e. RNA) or polypeptides encoded by the transcripts present in a cell or tissue. Suitable techniques for measuring transcription either based on RNA or polypeptides are well known in the art. Tissue or cell specificity alternatively and, preferably in addition to the above, means that the expression is restricted or almost restricted to the indicated tissue or cells, i.e. there is essentially no detectable transcription in other tissues. Almost restricted as meant herein means that unspecific expression is detectable in less than ten, less than five, less than four, less than three, less than two or one other tissue(s).

Seed specific expression can be determined, for example, by comparing the expression of a nucleic acid of interest, e.g., a reporter gene such as [beta]-glucuronidase (GUS), operatively linked to the expression control sequence in the following tissues and developmental stages: 1) roots and leaves at 5-leaf stage, 2) stem at V-7 stage, 3) leaves, husk, and silk at flowering stage, 4) Spikelets/Tassel at pollination, 5) Ear or Kernels at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 days after pollination (see also Examples). Preferably, expression of the nucleic acid of interest can be determined in Ear or Kernels at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 days after pollination in said assay as shown in the accompanying Figures. The expression of the nucleic acid of interest can be determined by various well known techniques, e.g., by Northern Blot or in situ hybridization techniques as described in WO 02/102970, and, preferably, as described in the accompanying Examples. Transgenic plants for analyzing seed specific expression can be also generated by techniques well known to the person skilled in the art and as discussed elsewhere in this specification.

The term “nucleic acid of interest” refers to a nucleic acid which shall be expressed under the control of the expression control sequence referred to herein. Preferably, a nucleic acid of interest encodes a polypeptide the presence of which is desired in a cell or plant as referred to herein and, in particular, in a plant seed. Such a polypeptide could be any functionally active or inert protein that accumulates in the seed and/or bestows a beneficial effect to the plant or seed upon it's expression. It is to be understood that if the nucleic acid of interest encodes a polypeptide, transcription of the nucleic acid in RNA and translation of the transcribed RNA into the polypeptide may be required. A nucleic acid of interest, also preferably, includes biologically active RNA molecules and, more preferably, antisense RNAs, ribozymes, micro RNAs or siRNAs. Said biologically active RNA molecules can be used to modify the amount of a target polypeptide present in a cell or plant. For example, an undesired enzymatic activity in a seed can be reduced due to the seed specific expression of an antisense RNAs, ribozymes, micro RNAs or siRNAs. The underlying biological principles of action of the aforementioned biologically active RNA molecules are well known in the art. Moreover, the person skilled in the art is well aware of how to obtain nucleic acids which encode such biologically active RNA molecules. It is to be understood that the biologically active RNA molecules may be directly obtained by transcription of the nucleic acid of interest, i.e. without translation into a polypeptide. Preferably, at least one nucleic acid of interest to be expressed under the control of the expression control sequence of the present invention is heterologous in relation to said expression control sequence, i.e. it is not naturally under the control thereof, but said control has been produced in a non-natural manner (for example by genetic engineering processes).

The term “operatively linked” as used herein means that the expression control sequence of the present invention and a nucleic acid of interest, are linked so that the expression can be governed by the said expression control sequence, i.e. the expression control sequence shall be functionally linked to the said nucleic acid sequence to be expressed. Accordingly, the expression control sequence and, the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed may be physically linked to each other, e.g., by inserting the expression control sequence at the 5′end of the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed. Alternatively, the expression control sequence and the nucleic acid to be expressed may be merely in physical proximity so that the expression control sequence is capable of governing the expression of at least one nucleic acid sequence of interest. The expression control sequence and the nucleic acid to be expressed are, preferably, separated by not more than 700 bp, 500 bp, 300 bp, 100 bp, 80 bp, 60 bp, 40 bp, 20 bp, 10 bp or 5 bp.

Advantageously, it has been found in the studies underlying the present invention that (whole) seed specific expression of a nucleic acid of interest can be reliably achieved by expressing said nucleic acids of interest under the control of an expression control sequence from maize or a variant expression control sequence as specified above (see, e.g., Tables 4A, 11, and 12). Thanks to the present invention, it is possible to (i) specifically manipulate biochemical processes in seed tissues, e.g., by expressing heterologous enzymes or biologically active RNAs as referred to above or (ii) to produce heterologous proteins in said seed tissues. In principle, the present invention contemplates the use of the polynucleotide, the vector, the host cell or the plant for the expression of a nucleic acid of interest. Seed-specific promoters described in the prior art only confer expression in the embryo or endosperm of the seed of a monocot, rather than in the whole seed.

The present invention also relates to a vector comprising the polynucleotide of the present invention.

The term “vector”, preferably, encompasses plasmids, expression vectors, T-DNA vectors as well as artificial chromosomes, such as bacterial or yeast artificial chromosomes. Moreover, the term also relates to targeting constructs which allow for random or site-directed integration of the targeting construct into genomic DNA. Such target constructs, preferably, comprise DNA of sufficient length for either homologous or heterologous recombination as described in detail below. The vector encompassing the polynucleotides of the present invention, preferably, further comprises selectable markers for propagation and/or selection in a host. The vector may be incorporated into a host cell by various techniques well known in the art. If introduced into a host cell, the vector may reside in the cytoplasm or may be incorporated into the genome. In the latter case, it is to be understood that the vector may further comprise nucleic acid sequences which allow for homologous recombination or heterologous insertion. Vectors can be introduced into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells via conventional transformation or transfection techniques. The terms “transformation” and “transfection”, conjugation and transduction, as used in the present context, are intended to comprise a multiplicity of prior-art processes for introducing foreign nucleic acid (for example DNA) into a host cell, including calcium phosphate, rubidium chloride or calcium chloride co-precipitation, DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection, lipofection, natural competence, carbon-based clusters, chemically mediated transfer, electroporation or particle bombardment (e.g., “gene-gun”). Suitable methods for the transformation or transfection of host cells, including plant cells, can be found in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2^(nd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989) and other laboratory manuals, such as Methods in Molecular Biology. 1995, Vol. 44, Agrobacterium protocols, Ed.: Gartland and Davey, Humana Press, Totowa, N.J.

Preferably, the vector referred to herein is suitable as a cloning vector, i.e. replicable in microbial systems. Such vectors ensure efficient cloning in bacteria and, preferably, yeasts or fungi and make possible the stable transformation of plants. “Cloning vectors” typically contain restriction endonuclease recognition sites at which foreign DNA sequences can be inserted in a determinable fashion without loss of essential biological function of the vector, as well as a marker gene that is suitable for use in the identification and selection of cells transformed with the cloning vector. Marker genes typically include genes that provide, e.g., kanamycin resistance, streptomycin resistance, spectinomycin resistance, tetracycline resistance, hygromycin resistance or ampicillin resistance.

Those vector systems which must be mentioned are, in particular, various binary and co-integrated vector systems which are suitable for the T-DNA-mediated transformation. Such vector systems are, as a rule, characterized in that they contain at least the vir genes, which are required for the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and the sequences which delimit the T-DNA (T-DNA border). These vector systems, preferably, also comprise further cis-regulatory regions such as promoters and terminators and/or selection markers with which suitable transformed host cells or organisms can be identified. While co-integrated vector systems have vir genes and T-DNA sequences arranged on the same vector, binary systems are based on at least two vectors, one of which bears vir genes, but no T-DNA, while a second one bears T-DNA, but no vir gene. As a consequence, the last-mentioned vectors are relatively small, easy to manipulate and can be replicated both in E. coli and in Agrobacterium. These binary vectors include vectors from the pBIB-HYG, pPZP, pBecks, pGreen series. Preferably used in accordance with the invention are pBin19, pBI101, pBinAR, pGPTV, pSUN, pPZP and pCAMBIA. An overview of binary vectors and their use can be found in Hellens et al, Trends in Plant Science (2000) 5, 446-451. Furthermore, by using appropriate cloning vectors, the polynucleotide of the invention can be introduced into host cells and/or plants and, thus, be used in the transformation of plants, such as those which are published, and cited, in: Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.), chapter 6/7, pp. 71-119 (1993); F. F. White, Vectors for Gene Transfer in Higher Plants; in: Transgenic Plants, vol. 1, Engineering and Utilization, Ed.: Kung and R. Wu, Academic Press, 1993, 15-38; B. Jenes et al., Techniques for Gene Transfer, in: Transgenic Plants, vol. 1, Engineering and Utilization, Ed.: Kung and R. Wu, Academic Press (1993), 128-143; Potrykus, Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Molec. Biol. 42 (1991), 205-225.

Examples of plant expression vectors comprise those which are described in detail in: Becker, D., Kemper, E., Schell, J., and Masterson, R. (1992) “New plant binary vectors with selectable markers located proximal to the left border”, Plant Mol. Biol. 20:1195-1197; and Bevan, M. W. (1984) “Binary Agrobacterium vectors for plant transformation”, Nucl. Acids Res. 12:8711-8721; Vectors for Gene Transfer in Higher Plants; in: Transgenic Plants, Vol. 1, Engineering and Utilization, Ed.: Kung and R. Wu, Academic Press, 1993, p. 15-38. A plant expression cassette, preferably, comprises regulatory sequences which are capable of controlling the gene expression in plant cells and which are functionally linked so that each sequence can fulfill its function, such as transcriptional termination, for example polyadenylation signals. Preferred polyadenylation signals are those which are derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA, such as the gene 3 of the Ti plasmid pTiACH5, which is known as octopine synthase (Gielen et al., EMBO J. 3 (1984) 835 et seq.) or functional equivalents of these, but all other terminators which are functionally active in plants are also suitable. Since plant gene expression is very often not limited to transcriptional levels, a plant expression cassette preferably comprises other functionally linked sequences such as translation enhancers, for example the overdrive sequence, which comprises the 5′-untranslated tobacco mosaic virus leader sequence, which increases the protein/RNA ratio (Gallie et al., 1987, Nucl. Acids Research 15:8693-8711). Other preferred sequences for the use in functional linkage in plant gene expression cassettes are targeting sequences which are required for targeting the gene product of the nucleic acid of interest into its relevant cell compartment (for a review, see Kermode, Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 15, 4 (1996) 285-423 and references cited therein), for example into the vacuole, the nucleus, all types of plastids, such as amyloplasts, chromoplasts, the extracellular space, the mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, oil bodies, peroxisomes and other compartments of plant cells.

It is to be understood that a binary vector or any other vector can be modified by common DNA recombination techniques, multiplied in E. coli, and introduced into Agrobacterium by e.g., electroporation or other transformation techniques (Mozo and Hooykaas, Plant Mol. Biol. 16:917-918 (1991)).

The present invention also contemplates a host cell comprising the polynucleotide or the vector of the present invention.

Host cells are, preferably, transgenic cells or cell lines derived from plants. More preferably, said host cells are derived from monocotelydonous plants. Preferred monocotelydonous plants are described elsewhere herein. The host cells derived from plants encompass cells of certain tissues, organs and parts of plants in all their phenotypic forms such as anthers, fibers, root hairs, stalks, embryos, calli, cotelydons, petioles, harvested material, plant tissue, reproductive tissue and cell cultures which are derived from the actual transgenic plant and/or can be used for bringing about the transgenic plant.

It is to be understood that the polynucleotide or vector according to the present invention may also be present in prokaryotic or eukaryotic single cell organism (also referred to as micro-organisms), particularly for cloning purpose (for example, in E. coli), and for plant transformation (for example, in Agrobacterium). Thus, the term “host cell”, preferably, also encompasses prokaryotic or eukaryotic single cell organisms (also referred to as micro-organisms). Particularly contemplated as prokaryotic host cells in the context of the present invention are Rhizobiaceae cells, in particular of the genus Agrobacterium. Preferred Agrobacterium cells are Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterum rhizogenes cells.

Agrobacterium is a soil born phytopathogen that integrates a piece of DNA (T-DNA) into the genome of a plant (Chilton, et al., 1977 Cell 11: 263-271; Hoekema, et al., 1985 Nature 303: 179-180; Bevan, 1984 Nucleic Acids Res. 12: 8711-8721; Sheng and Citovsky, 1996 The Plant Cell, Vol. 8.1699-1710). Preferably, the Agrobacterium cells/strains are disarmed, i.e. lack the crown gall disease mediating properties or lack the hairy-root disease mediating properties but otherwise providing the functions for plant infection. Agrobacterium cells in the context of the present invention are, preferably, selected from LBA4404, GV2260, GV3600, EHA101, EHA105, AGL-1, LBA9402, GV3101, COR341, COR356, UIA143, pCH32, BIBAC2, C58C1, pMP90 and AGT121. In a preferred embodiment the Agrobacterium cell is selected from the group consisting of C58C1, EHA101, pMP90, and LBA4404.

How to culture the aforementioned Agrobacterium species is well known to the person skilled in the art.

The present invention also relates to a transgenic plant or seed thereof, comprising the polynucleotide or the vector of the present invention.

The polynucleotide or vector may be present in the cytoplasm of cells of said plant or seed thereof. Preferably, the polynucleotide or vector is stably integrated into the genome of cells comprised by said plant or plant seed. How to stably integrate a polynucleotide or a vector (particularly a T-DNA vector) into the genome of a plant cell is well known in the art and described elsewhere herein. In the context of the present invention it is particularly envisaged that the polynucleotide or vector shall be stably integrated into the genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

Preferred plants to be used for transgenic plants according to the present invention are monocotyledonous plants.

A “monocotyledonous plant” as used herein, preferably, refers to a flowering plant with one cotyledon in the seed. Particularly preferred monocotyledonous plants (herein also referred to as monocots) are maize, wheat, rice, barley, oat, rye, sorghum, millet, tricalate, banana, ryegrass or coix. The term “monocotyledonous plant” includes, preferably, plants of the genera of the subfamilies Andropogonoideae (particularly, the genera Saccharum, Sorghum, or Zea), Arundineae (particularly, the genus Phragmites), Oryzoideae (particularly, the genus Oryza), Panicoideae, and, more preferably, Pooideae (Festuciadeae) (particularly, the genera Poa, Festuca, Lolium, Trisetum, Agrostis, Phleum, Dactylis, Alopecurus, Avena, Triticum, Secale, and Hordeum). Preferred monocotyledonous plants are Avena sativa (oats), Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane), Triticum dicoccum (Emmer wheat), Triticum monococcum (Einkom wheat), Triticum spelta (spelt wheat), Triticum durum (wheat), Triticum turgidum, Triticum aestivum (wheat), Zea mays (maize/corn), Panicum miliaceum (common millet), Pennisetum thiphoides (Bulrush millet), Hordeum vulgare or H. sativum (barley), Oryza sativa (rice), Zizania aquatica (wild rice), Secale cereale (rye), Sorghum bicolor (S. vulgare) (sorghum). More preferred are wheat (Triticum spp.), rice (Oryza spp.), barley (Hordeum spp.), oats (Avena spp.), rye (Secale spp.), corn (Zea mays), sorghum and millet (Pennisettum spp).

Most preferably, the monocotyledonous plant is Zea mays.

Furthermore envisaged by the present invention are certain tissues, organs and parts of said monocotelydonous plants in all their phenotypic forms such as anthers, fibers, root hairs, stalks, embryos, calli, cotelydons, petioles, harvested material, plant tissue, reproductive tissue and cell cultures which are derived from the actual transgenic plant and/or can be used for bringing about the transgenic plant.

Transgenic plants or transgenic host cells according to the present invention may be obtained by transformation techniques as published, and cited, in: Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.), chapter 6/7, pp. 71-119 (1993): F. F. White, Vectors for Gene Transfer in Higher Plants; in: Transgenic Plants, vol. 1, Engineering and Utilization, Ed.: Kung and R. Wu, Academic Press, 1993, 15-38; B. Jenes et al., Techniques for Gene Transfer, in: Transgenic Plants, vol. 1, Engineering and Utilization, Ed.: Kung and R. Wu, Academic Press (1993), 128-143; Potrykus, Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Molec. Biol. 42 (1991), 205-225; Transgenic Plants: Methods and Protocols Editor. Leandro Pefa, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Valencia Spain Series: Methods in Molecular Biology, volume 286 (2004) or in WO2006/133983. Preferably, transgenic plants can be obtained by T-DNA-mediated transformation. Such vector systems are, as a rule, characterized in that they contain at least the vir genes, which are required for the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and the sequences which delimit the T-DNA (T-DNA border). Suitable vectors are described elsewhere in the specification in detail.

The present invention also relates to a method for expressing a nucleic acid of interest in a host cell comprising

-   -   (a) introducing the polynucleotide or the vector of the present         invention into the host cell; and     -   (b) expressing at least one nucleic acid of interest in said         host cell.

The polynucleotide or vector of the present invention can be introduced into the host cell by suitable transfection or transformation techniques as specified elsewhere in this description. The nucleic acid of interest will be expressed in the host cell under suitable conditions. To this end, the host cell will be cultivated under conditions which, in principle, allow for transcription of nucleic acids. Moreover, the host cell, preferably, comprises the exogenously supplied or endogenously present transcription machinery required for expressing a nucleic acid of interest by the expression control sequence. Preferably, said host cell is a cell of a monocotelydonous plant.

Moreover, the present invention encompasses a method for expressing a nucleic acid of interest in a plant comprising

-   -   (a) introducing the polynucleotide or the vector of the present         invention into the plant; and     -   (b) expressing at least one nucleic acid of interest in said         plant.

The polynucleotide or vector of the present invention can be introduced into the plant by suitable techniques as specified elsewhere in this description.

Also, the present invention also relates to a method for seed-specific expression of a nucleic acid of interest in a plant comprising

-   -   (a) introducing the polynucleotide or the vector of the present         invention into the plant; and     -   (b) expressing at least one nucleic acid of interest in said         plant.

In the following, some preferred embodiments pertaining to the present invention are described in more detail.

In a preferred embodiment, the polynucleotide of the present invention also comprises further genetic control sequences. A genetic control sequence as referred to in accordance with the present invention is to be understood broadly and means all sequences having an influence on the coming into existence of the function of the transgenic expression cassette of the invention. Genetic control sequences modify for example the transcription and translation in eukaryotic organisms. The expression cassettes of the invention, preferably, comprise as additional genetic control sequence one of the promoters of the invention 5′-upstream from the particular nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically, and a terminator sequence 3′-downstream, and if appropriate further usual regulatory elements, in each case functionally linked to the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically.

Genetic control sequences also comprise further promoters, promoter elements or minimal promoters which are able to modify the expression-controlling properties. It is thus possible for example through genetic control sequences for tissue-specific expression to take place additionally in dependence on particular stress factors. Corresponding elements are described for example for water stress, abscisic acid (Lam E and Chua N H, (1991) J Biol Chem 266(26):17131-17135) and heat stress (Schöffl F et al. (1989) Mol Gen Genetics 217(2-3):246-53). A further possibility is for further promoters which make expression possible in further plant tissues or in other organisms such as, for example, E. coli bacteria to be functionally linked to the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed. Suitable plant promoters are in principle all the promoters described above. It is conceivable for example that a particular nucleic acid sequence is described by a promoter (for example one of the promoters of the invention) in one plant tissue as sense RNA and translated into the corresponding protein, while the same nucleic acid sequence is transcribed by another promoter with a different specificity in a different tissue into antisense RNA, and the corresponding protein is downregulated. This can be implemented by an expression cassette of the invention by the one promoter being positioned in front of the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically, and the other promoter behind.

It has been shown that untranslated regions may have significant functions in the regulation of gene expression. Thus, it has been shown that 5′-untranslated sequences may enhance the transient expression of heterologous genes. They may moreover promote tissue specificity (Rouster J et al. (1998) Plant J. 15:435-440). Conversely, the 5′-untranslated region of the opaque-2 gene suppresses expression. Deletion of the corresponding region of this gene leads to an increase in gene activity (Lohmer S et al. (1993) Plant Cell 5:65-73). Further 5′-untranslated sequences and introns with expression-promoting function are known to the skilled worker. McElroy and coworkers (McElroy et al. (1991) Mol Gen Genet 231(1):150-160) reported on a construct based on the rice actin 1 (Act1) promoter for transforming monocotyledonous plants. Use of the Act1 intron in combination with the 35S promoter in transgenic rice cells led to an expression rate which was increased ten-fold compared with the isolated 35S promoter. Optimization of the sequence environment of the translation initiation site of the reporter gene [beta]-glucuronidase (GUS) resulted in a four-fold increase in GUS expression in transformed rice cells. Combination of the optimized translation initiation site and of the Act1 intron resulted in a 40-fold increase in GUS expression by the CaMV35S promoter in transformed rice cells; similar results have been obtained with transformed corn cells. Overall, it was concluded from the investigations described above that the expression vectors based on the Act1 promoter are suitable for controlling sufficiently strong and constitutive expression of foreign DNA in transformed cells of monocotyledonous plants.

Moreover, the expression profile of the expression control region of the invention may be enhanced with expression enhancing introns and/or transcriptions termination sequences.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment the polynucleotide of the invention comprises at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of a) 5-untranslated regions, and b) intron encoding sequences, and c) transcription termination sequences.

The “intron encoding sequence” is, preferably, an intron encoding an expression enhancing intron from a monocotyledonous plant. More preferably the intron encoding sequence is an intron from an ubiquitin, actin or alcohol dehydrogenase gene. Most preferably, the intron encoding sequence is a first intron of a plant gene encoding a Metallothionin 1 polypeptide (MET1), a metallothionein-like polypeptide (MET-like) or a functional equivalent or ortholog thereof.

Preferred first introns from plant gene encoding a metallothionein-like polypeptide (or of functional equivatlent or homolog thereof) are disclosed in WO2006/094976 and WO2008/099013 which are hereby incorporated by reference. Preferably, said first intron is derived from a MET-like gene from a monocotyledonous plant. More preferably, said first intron is derived from Oryza sativa (see Examples). Even more preferably, the first intron is derived from a MET-like gene encoding of polypeptide as shown in SEQ ID NO: 118. Most preferably, the first intron of a plant gene encoding a Metallothionin 1 has a sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 119.

It is also comtemplated that the intron encoding region is a variant of a first intron of a plant gene encoding a Metallothionin-like protein, particularly, a variant of a first intron having a sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 120. Such variant, preferably, is at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94% at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99% identical to said first intron. How to determine the degree of identity is described elsewhere herein.

Preferably, the intron encoding sequence is inserted in the expression construct in the 5′-untranslated region of the nucleic acid of interest, which should be expressed (i.e., between the expression control sequence and the protein coding sequence (open reading frame) or the nucleic acid of interest).

Advantageously, it has been shown in the context of the present invention that the Met1-1 intron enhances the expression of the expression control sequences according to the present invention in seed tissue.

The expression cassette may also comprise one or more so-called enhancer sequences functionally linked to the promoter, which make increased transgenic expression of the nucleic acid sequence possible. It is also possible to insert additional advantageous sequences, such as further regulatory elements or terminators, at the 3′ end of the nucleic acid sequences which are to be expressed transgenically.

Control sequences additionally mean those which make homologous recombination or insertion into the genome of a host organism possible or which allow deletion from the genome. It is possible in homologous recombination for example for the natural promoter of a particular gene to be replaced by one of the promoters of the invention. Methods such as the cre/lox technology permit tissue-specific deletion, which is inducible in some circumstances, of the expression cassette from the genome of the host organism (Sauer B. (1998) Methods. 14(4):381-92). In this case, particular flanking sequences are attached (lox sequences) to the target gene and subsequently make deletion possible by means of cre recombinase. The promoter to be introduced can be placed by means of homologous recombination in front of the target gene which is to be expressed transgenically by linking the promoter to DNA sequences which are, for example, homologous to endogenous sequences which precede the reading frame of the target gene. Such sequences are to be regarded as genetic control sequences. After a cell has been transformed with the appropriate DNA construct, the two homologous sequences can interact and thus place the promoter sequence at the desired site in front of the target gene, so that the promoter sequence is now functionally linked to the target gene and forms an expression cassette of the invention. The selection of the homologous sequences determines the promoter insertion site. It is possible in this case for the expression cassette to be generated by homologous recombination by means of single or double reciprocal recombination. In single reciprocal recombination there is use of only a single recombination sequence, and the complete introduced DNA is inserted. In double reciprocal recombination the DNA to be introduced is flanked by two homologous sequences, and the flanking region is inserted. The latter process is suitable for replacing, as described above, the natural promoter of a particular gene by one of the promoters of the invention and thus modifying the location and timing of gene expression. This functional linkage represents an expression cassette of the invention. To select successfully homologously recombined or else transformed cells it is usually necessary additionally to introduce a selectable marker. Various suitable markers are mentioned below. The selection marker permits selection of transformed from untransformed cells. Homologous recombination is a relatively rare event in higher eukaryotes, especially in plants. Random integrations into the host genome predominate. One possibility of deleting randomly integrated sequences and thus enriching cell clones having a correct homologous recombination consists of using a sequence-specific recombination system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,736.

Polyadenylation signals suitable as genetic control sequences are plant polyadenylation signals and, preferably, those from Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the expression cassette comprises a terminator sequence which is functional in plants. Terminator sequences which are functional in plants means, in general, sequences able to bring about termination of transcription of a DNA sequence in plants. Examples of suitable terminator sequences are the OCS (octopine synthase) terminator and the NOS (nopaline synthase) terminator. However, plant terminator sequences are particularly preferred. Plant terminator sequences means in general sequences which are a constituent of a natural plant gene. Particular preference is given in this connection to the terminator of the potato cathepsin D inhibitor gene (GenBank Acc. No.: X74985) or to the terminator of the field bean storage protein gene VfLEIB3 (GenBank Acc. No.: Z26489). These terminators are at least equivalent to the viral or T-DNA terminators described in the art.

The skilled worker is also aware of a large number of nucleic acids and proteins whose recombinant expression is advantageous under the control of the expression cassettes or processes of the invention. Some examples of nucleic acids of interest whose expression provides the desired advantageous effects are mentioned below.

The skilled worker is further aware of a large number of genes through whose repression or switching off by means of expression of an appropriate antisense RNA it is possible likewise to achieve advantageous effects. Non-restrictive examples of advantageous effects which may be mentioned are: facilitated production of a transgenic organism for example through the expression of selection markers, achievement of resistance to abiotic stress factors (heat, cold, aridity, increased moisture, drought, environmental toxins, UV radiation), achievement of resistance to biotic stress factors (pathogens, viruses, insects and diseases), improvement in human or animal food properties, improvement in the growth rate of the yield. Preferably, the biotic stress factor is a seed-borne disease (mainly fungal diseases e.g. common bunt (Tilletia tritici); leaf stripe (Pyrenophora graminea), and loose smut (Ustilago nuda) mainly in barley.

Moreover, the largest use of grain, particularly of maize grain, is for feed or food. Introduction of genes that alter the composition of the grain may greatly enhance the feed or food value. The primary components of grain are starch, protein, and oil. Each of these primary components of grain may be improved by altering its level or composition. The primary components of grain are starch, protein, and oil. Each of these primary components of grain may be improved by altering its level or composition (meaning the nutritive value of the building blocks for each component, or alternatively the respective structures of oils and starches can be modified so as to improve their nutritive content).

The protein of many cereal grains is suboptimal for feed and food purposes especially when fed to pigs, poultry, and humans. The protein is deficient in several amino acids that are essential in the diet of these species, requiring the addition of supplements to the grain. Limiting essential amino acids may include lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, valine, arginine, and histidine. The levels of these essential amino acids in seeds and grain may be elevated by mechanisms which include the introduction of genes to increase the biosynthesis of the amino acids, decrease the degradation of the amino acids, increase the storage of the amino acids in proteins, or increase transport of the amino acids to the seeds or grain.

One mechanism for increasing the biosynthesis of the amino acids is to introduce genes that deregulate the amino acid biosynthetic pathways such that the plant can no longer adequately control the levels that are produced. This may be done by deregulating or bypassing steps in the amino acid biosynthetic pathway that are normally regulated by levels of the amino acid end product of the pathway. Examples include the introduction of genes that encode deregulated versions of the enzymes aspartokinase or dihydrodipicolinic acid (DHDP)-synthase for increasing lysine and threonine production, and anthranilate synthase for increasing tryptophan production. Reduction of the catabolism of the amino acids may be accomplished by introduction of DNA sequences that reduce or eliminate the expression of genes encoding enzymes that catalyse steps in the catabolic pathways such as the enzyme lysine-ketoglutarate reductase

The protein composition of the grain may be altered to improve the balance of amino acids in a variety of ways including elevating expression of native proteins, decreasing expression of those with poor composition, changing the composition of native proteins, or introducing genes encoding entirely new proteins possessing superior composition. DNA may be introduced that decreases the expression of members of the zein family of storage proteins. This DNA may encode ribozymes or antisense sequences directed to impairing expression of zein proteins or expression of regulators of zein expression such as the opaque-2 gene product. The protein composition of the grain may be modified through the phenomenon of cosuppression, i.e., inhibition of expression of an endogenous gene through the expression of an identical structural gene or gene fragment introduced through transformation. Additionally, the introduced DNA may encode enzymes, which degrade zeines. The decreases in zein expression that are achieved may be accompanied by increases in proteins with more desirable amino acid composition or increases in other major seed constituents such as starch. Alternatively, a chimeric gene may be introduced that comprises a coding sequence for a native protein of adequate amino acid composition such as for one of the globulin proteins or 10 kD zein of maize and a promoter or other regulatory sequence designed to elevate expression of said protein. The coding sequence of said gene may include additional or replacement codons for essential amino acids. Further, a coding sequence obtained from another species, or, a partially or completely synthetic sequence encoding a completely unique peptide sequence designed to enhance the amino acid composition of the seed may be employed.

The introduction of genes that alter the oil content of the grain may be of value. Increases in oil content may result in increases in metabolizable energy content and density of the seeds for uses in feed and food. The introduced genes may encode enzymes that remove or reduce rate-limitations or regulated steps in fatty acid or lipid biosynthesis. Such genes are, e.g., those that encode acetyl-CoA carboxylase, ACP-acyltransferase, beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase, plus other well-known fatty acid biosynthetic activities.

Genes may be introduced that enhance the nutritive value of the starch component of the grain, for example by increasing the degree of branching, resulting in improved utilization of the starch in cows by delaying its metabolism.

Feed or food comprising some cereal grains possesses insufficient quantities of vitamins and must be supplemented to provide adequate nutritive value. Introduction of genes that enhance vitamin biosynthesis in seeds may be envisioned including, for example, vitamins A, E, B₁₂, choline, and the like.

The properties of starch may be beneficially altered by changing the ratio of amylose to amylopectin, the size of the starch molecules, or their branching pattern. Through these changes a broad range of properties may be modified which include, e.g., in gelatinization temperature, heat of gelatinization, clarity of films and pastes. To accomplish these changes in properties, genes that encode granule-bound or soluble starch synthase activity or branching enzyme activity may be introduced alone or combination. DNA such as antisense constructs may also be used to decrease levels of endogenous activity of these enzymes.

Additionally, some cereal grains used in feed and food applications possess insufficient quantities of vitamins and must be supplemented to provide adequate nutritive value; introduction of genes that enhance vitamin biosynthesis in seeds may be envisioned including, for example, vitamins A, E, B₁₂, choline, and the like.

In addition, it may further be considered that the plant be used for the production or manufacturing of useful biological compounds that were either not produced at all, or not produced at the same level, in the plant previously. The novel plants producing these compounds are made possible by the introduction and expression of genes by transformation methods. The possibilities include, e.g, any biological compound which is presently produced by any organism such as proteins, nucleic acids, primary and intermediary metabolites, carbohydrate polymers, etc. The compounds may be produced by the plant, extracted upon harvest and/or processing, and used for any presently recognized useful purpose such as pharmaceuticals, fragrances, industrial enzymes to name a few.

Useful nucleic acid sequences of interest that can be combined with the expression control sequence of the present invention include, preferably, those encoding seed storage proteins, fatty acid pathway enzymes, tocopherol biosynthetic enzymes, amino acid biosynthetic enzymes, and starch branching enzymes.

The expression control sequences according to the present invention may be used for expression of metabolic enzymes for use in the food-and-feed sector, for example of phytases and cellulases. Especially preferred are nucleic acids such as the artificial cDNA which encodes a microbial phytase (GenBank Ace. No.: A19451) or functional equivalents thereof. Expression of genes which bring about an accumulation of fine chemicals such as of tocopherols, tocotrienols or carotenoids. An example which may be mentioned is phytoene desaturase. Preferred are nucleic acids which encode the Narcissus pseudonarcissus photoene desaturase (GenBank Ace. No.: X78815) or functional equivalents thereof.

The expression control sequences according to the present invention may be used for expression of nucleic acids of interest which modified oils production (U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,876), high oil production (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,608,149 and 6,476,295), or modified fatty acid content (U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,750). Preferred fatty acid pathway enzymes include thioesterases (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,512,482; 5,530,186; 5,945,585; 5,639,790; 5,807,893; 5,955,650; 5,955,329; 5,759,829; 5,147,792; 5,304,481; 5,298,421; 5,344,771; and 5,760,206), diacylglycerol acyltransferases (U.S. Patent Publications 200301 15632A1 and 20030028923A1), and desaturases (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,689,050; 5,663,068; 5,614,393; 5,856,157; 6,117,677; 6,043,411; 6,194,167; 5,705,391; 5,663,068; 5,552,306; 6,075,183; 6,051,754; 5,689,050; 5,789,220; 5,057,419; 5,654,402; 5,659,645; 6,100,091; 5,760,206; 6,172,106; 5,952,544; 5,866,789; 5,443,974; and 5,093,249) all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Production of neutraceuticals such as, for example, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as, for example, arachidonic acid or EP (eicosapentaenoic acid) or DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) by expression of fatty acid elongases and/or desaturases or production of proteins having an improved nutritional value such as, for example, having a high content of essential amino acids (e.g. the methionine-rich 2S albumin gene of the Brazil nut). Preferred nucleic acids are those which code for the methionine-rich 2S albumin from Bertholletia excelsa (GenBank Acc. No.: AB044391), the [Delta]6-acyllipid desaturase from Physcomitrella patens (GenBank Acc. No.: AJ222980; Girke et al. (1998) Plant J 15:3948), the [Delta]6-desaturase from Mortierelia alpina (Sakuradani et al. (1999) Gene 238:445-453), the [Delta]5-desaturase from Caenorhabditis elegans (Michaelson et al. 1998, FEBS Letters 439:215-218), the [Delta]5-fatty acid desaturase (des-5) from Caenorhabditis elegans (GenBank Acc. No.: AF078796), the [Delta]5-desaturase from Mortierella alpina (Michaelson et al. J Biol Chem 273:19055-19059), the [Delta]6-elongase from Caenorhabditis elegans (Beaudoin et al. (2000) Proc Natl. Acad Sci USA 97:6421-6426), the [Delta]6-elongase from Physcomitrella patens (Zank et al. (2000) Biochemical Society Transactions 28:654-657) or functional equivalents thereof.

Achieving an increased storage ability in cells which normally comprise few storage proteins or lipids with the aim of increasing the yield of these substances, for example by expression of an acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Preferred nucleic acids are those which code for the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (accase) from Medicago sativa (GenBank Acc. No.: L25042) or functional equivalents thereof. Further examples of advantageous genes are mentioned for example in Dunwell J M (2000) J Exp Bot. 51 Spec No:487-96. Alternatively, an increased storage protein content might be advantageous for high-protein product production: Preferred seed storage proteins include zeins.

The nucleic acid of interest may also confer resistance to seed-related diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects (e.g. by expressing a suitable Bt gene) and nematodes.

For example, the nucleic acid of interest may confer resistance to fungi known to affect stored seeds such as fungi of the genus Aspergillus, Penicilium or Fusarium (particularly Fusarium moniliformere. Resistance against Fusarium can be, preferably, achieved by operably linking the expression control sequences according to the present invention to a nucleic acid sequence encoding Cry-1A(b) or any other Cry variant which confer resistance to Fusarium.

Moreover, the nucleic acid of interest may confer resistance to the nematode Anguina tritici can cause significant crop loss to Emmer (Triticum monococcum), rye (Secale cereale), spelt (T. spelta), and wheat (T. aestivum).

Also, the nucleic acid of interest may confer resistance to Cnephasia species, particularly, to cereal tortrix (Cnephasia pumicana) and leaf rollers such as Cnephasia longana.

It is also contemplated that the nucleic acid of interest may confer resistance to grey field slugs such as Deroceras reticulatum or Deroceras agreste.

Resistance to viruses may be produced through expression of novel genes. For example, it has been demonstrated that expression of a viral coat protein in a transgenic plant can impart resistance to infection of the plant by that virus and perhaps other closely related viruses. It is contemplated that expression of antisense genes targeted at essential viral functions may impart resistance to said virus. For example, an antisense gene targeted at the gene responsible for replication of viral nucleic acid may inhibit said replication and lead to resistance to the virus. It is believed that interference with other viral functions through the use of antisense genes may also increase resistance to viruses.

Expression of the nucleic acids under the control of the promoters of the invention is possible in any desired cell compartment such as, for example, the endomembrane system, the vacuole and the chloroplasts. Desired glycosylation reactions, especially foldings and the like, are possible by utilizing the secretory pathway. Secretion of the target protein to the 30 cell surface or secretion into the culture medium, for example on use of suspension-cultured cells or protoplasts, is also possible. The target sequences necessary for this purpose can thus be taken into account in individual vector variations and be introduced, together with the target gene to be cloned, into the vector through use of a suitable cloning strategy. It is possible to utilize as target sequences both gene-intrinsic, where present, or heterologous sequences. Additional heterologous sequences which are preferred for the functional linkage, but not restricted thereto, are further targeting sequences to ensure the subcellular localization in apoplasts, in the vacuole, in plastids, in the mitochondrion, in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in the cell nucleus, in elaioplasts or other compartments; and translation enhancers' such as the 5′ leader sequence from tobacco mosaic virus (Gallie et al. (1987) Nucl Acids Res 15 8693-8711) and the like. The process for transporting proteins which are not localized per se in the plastids in a targeted fashion into the plastids is described (Klosgen R B & Weil J H (1991) Mol Gen Genet 225(2):297-304; Van Breusegem F et al. (1998) Plant Mol Biol 38(3):491-496).

Preferred sequences are

a) small subunit (SSU) of the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco ssu) from pea, corn, sunflower

b) transit peptides derived from genes of plant fatty acid biosynthesis such as the transit peptide of the plastidic acyl carrier protein (ACP), the stearyl-ACP desaturase, [beta]-ketoacyl-ACP synthase or the acyl-ACP thioesterase

c) the transit peptide for GBSSI (starch granule bound starch synthase 1)

d) LHCP II genes.

The target sequences may be linked to other target sequences which differ from the transit peptide-encoding sequences in order to ensure a subcellular localization in the apoplast, in the vacuole, in the plastids, in the mitochondrion, in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in the cell nucleus, in the elaioplasts or other compartments. It is also possible to employ translation enhancers such as the 5′ leader sequence from tobacco mosaic virus (Gallie et al. (1987) Nucl Acids Res 15:8693-8711) and the like.

The skilled worker is also aware that he needs not express the genes described above directly by use of the nucleic acid sequences coding for these genes, or repress them for example by anti-sense. He can also use for example artificial transcription factors of the type of zinc finger proteins (Beerli R R et al. (2000) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97(4):1495-500). These factors bind in the regulatory regions of the endogenous genes which are to be expressed or repressed and result, depending on the design of the factor, in expression or repression of the endogenous gene. Thus, the desired effects can also be achieved by expression of an appropriate zinc finger transcription factor under the control of one of the promoters of the invention.

The expression cassettes of the invention can likewise be employed for seed-specific suppression or reduction of replication or/and translation of target genes by gene silencing.

The expression cassettes of the invention can also be employed for seed-specific expression of nucleic acids which mediate so-called antisense effects and are thus able for example to reduce the expression of a target protein.

Preferred genes and proteins whose suppression is the condition for an advantageous phenotype comprise by way of example, but non-restrictively:

a) reduction in the expression of allergenic proteins as described for example in Tada Y et al. (1996) FEBS Lett 391(3):341-345 or Nakamura R (1996) Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 60(8):1215-1221.

b) shifting the amylose/amylopectin content in starch by suppression of branching enzyme Q, which is responsible for [alpha]-1,6-glycosidic linkage. Corresponding procedures are described (for example in Schwall G P et al. (2000) Nat Biotechnol 18(5):551-554). Preferably used for this purpose are nucleic acid sequences like that of the starch branching enzyme II of potato (GenBank Acc. No.: AR123356; U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,226) or its homologs from other genera and species.

An “antisense” nucleic acid means primarily a nucleic acid sequence which is wholly or partly complementary to at least part of the sense strand of said target protein. The skilled worker is aware that he can use alternatively the cDNA or the corresponding gene as starting template for corresponding antisense constructs. The antisense nucleic acid is preferably complementary to the coding region of the target protein or a part thereof. The antisense nucleic acid may, however, also be complementary to the non-coding region of a part thereof. Starting from the sequence information for a target protein, an antisense nucleic acid can be designed in a manner familiar to the skilled worker by taking account of the base-pair rules of Watson and Crick. An antisense nucleic acid may be complementary to the whole or a part of the nucleic acid sequence of a target protein. In a preferred embodiment, the antisense nucleic acid is an oligonucleotide with a length of for example 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 nucleotides.

The antisense nucleic acid comprises in a preferred embodiment [alpha]-anomeric nucleic acid molecules. [alpha]-Anomeric nucleic acid molecules form in particular double-stranded hybrids with complementary RNA in which the strands run parallel to one another, in contrast to the normal [beta] units (Gaultier et al. (1987) Nucleic Acids Res 15:6625-6641). The use of the sequences described above in sense orientation is likewise encompassed and may, as is familiar to the skilled worker, lead to cosuppression. The expression of sense RNA to an endogenous gene may reduce or switch off its expression, similar to that described for antisense approaches (Goring et al. (1991) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:1770-1774; Smith et al. (1990) Mol Gen Genet 224:447-481; Napoli et al. (1990) Plant Cell 2:279-289; Van der Krol et al. (1990) Plant Cell 2:291-299). It is moreover for the introduced construct to represent the gene to be reduced wholly or only in part. The possibility of translation is unnecessary.

It is also very particularly preferred to use processes such as gene regulation by means of double-stranded RNA (double-stranded RNA interference). Corresponding processes are known to the skilled worker and described in detail (e.g. Matzke M A et al. (2000) Plant Mol Biol 43:401-415; Fire A. et al (1998) Nature 391:806-811; WO 99/32619; WO 99/53050; WO 00/68374; WO 00/44914; WO 00/44895; WO 00/49035; WO 00/63364). Express reference is made to the processes and methods described in the indicated references. Highly efficient suppression of native genes is brought about here through simultaneous introduction of strand and complementary strand.

It is possible and advantageous to couple the antisense strategy with a ribozyme process. Ribozymes are catalytically active RNA sequences which, coupled to the antisense sequences, catalytically cleave the target sequences (Tanner N K. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 1999; 23 (3):257-75). This may increase the efficiency of an antisense strategy. Expression of ribozymes for reducing particular proteins is known to the skilled worker and described for example in EP-A1 0 291 533, EP-A1 0 321 201 and EP-A1 0 360 257. Suitable target sequences and ribozymes can be determined as described by Steinecke (Ribozymes, Methods in Cell Biology 50, Galbraith et al. eds. Academic Press, Inc. (1995), 449-460) by secondary structure calculations of ribozyme RNA and target RNA and by the interaction thereof (Bayley C C et al., Plant Mol Biol. 1992; 18(2):353-361; Lloyd A M and Davis R W et al., Mol Gen Genet. 1994 March; 242(6):653-657). Examples which should be mentioned are hammerhead ribozymes (Haselhoff and Gerlach (1988) Nature 334:585-591). Preferred ribozymes are based on derivatives of the tetrahymena L-19 IVS RNA (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,987,071; 5,116,742). Further ribozymes having selectivity for an L119 mRNA can be selected (Bartel D and Szostak J W (1993) Science 261:1411-1418).

In a further embodiment, target protein expression can be reduced by using nucleic acid sequences which are complementary to regulatory elements of the target protein genes, form with the latter a triple helical structure and thus prevent gene transcription (Helene C (1991) Anticancer Drug Des. 6(6):569-84; Helene C et al. (1992) Ann NY Acad Sci 660:27-36; Maher L J (1992) Bioassays 14(12):807-815).

The expression cassettes of the invention and the vectors derived therefrom may comprise further functional elements. The term functional element is to be understood broadly and means all elements which have an influence on production, multiplication or function of the expression cassettes of the invention or vectors or organisms derived therefrom. Non-restrictive examples which may be mentioned are:

a) Reporter genes or proteins code for easily quantifiable proteins and ensure via an intrinsic color or enzymic activity an assessment of transformation efficiency or of the site or time of expression (Schenbom E, Groskreutz D (1999) Mol Biotechnol 13(1):2944). Examples which should be mentioned are:

green fluorescence protein (GFP) (Chui W L et al., Curr Biol 1996, 6:325-330; Leffel S M et al., Biotechniques. 23(5):912-8, 1997; Sheen et al. (1995) Plant Journal 8(5):777-784; Haseloff et al. (1997) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94(6):2122-2127; Reichel et al. (1996) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93(12):5888-5893; Tian et al. (1997) Plant Cell Rep 16:267-271; WO 97/41228), chloramphenicol transferase (Fromm et al. (1985) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82:5824-5828), luciferase (Millar et al. (1992) Plant Mol Biol Rep 10:324-414; Ow et al. (1986) Science, 234:856-859); permits detection of bioluminescence., [beta]-galactosidase, codes for an enzyme for which various chromogenic substrates are available, [beta]-glucuronidase (GUS) (Jefferson et al. (1987) EMBO J 6:3901-3907) or the uidA gene which encodes an enzyme for various chromogenic substrates, R-locus gene product protein which regulates the production of anthocyanin pigments (red coloration) in plant tissues and thus makes direct analysis possible of the promoter activity without adding additional auxiliaries or chromogenic substrates (Dellaporta et al., In: Chromosome Structure and Function: Impact of New Concepts, 18th Stadler Genetics Symposium 11:263-282, 1988), [beta]-Iactamase (Sutcliffe (1978) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:3737-3741), enzyme for various chromogenic substrates (e.g. PADAC, a chromogenic cephalosporin), xylE gene product (Zukowsky et al. (1983) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:1101-1105), catechol dioxygenase, which can convert chromogenic catechols, alpha-amylase (Ikuta et al. (1990) Biol Technol. 8:241-242, tyrosinase (Katz et al. (1983) J Gen Microbiol 129:2703-2714), enzyme which oxidizes tyrosine to DOPA and dopaquinone which subsequently form the easily detectable melanin, aequorin (Prasher et al. (1985) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 126(3):1259-1268), can be used in calcium-sensitive bioluminescence detection.

b) Origins of replication which ensure a multiplication of the expression cassettes or vectors of the invention in, for example, E. coli. Examples which may be mentioned are ORI (origin of DNA replication), the pBR322 on or the P15A ori (Sambrook et al.: Molecular Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989).

c) Elements for example “border sequences” which make agrobacteria-mediated transfer into plant cells possible for transfer and integration into the plant genome, such as, for example, the right or left border of the T-DNA or the vir region.

d) Multiple cloning regions (MCS) permit and facilitate the insertion of one or more nucleic acid sequences.

The skilled worker is aware of various ways of obtaining an expression cassette of the invention. The production of an expression cassette of the invention takes place for example by fusing one of the expression control sequence of the invention with a nucleic acid sequence of interest to be expressed, if appropriate with a sequence coding for a transit peptide which is preferably positioned between the promoter and the respective nucleic acid sequence, and with a terminator or polyadenylation signal. Conventional techniques of recombination and cloning are used for this purpose (as described above).

It is also possible analogously for a nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically to be placed, for example by homologous recombination, behind the endogenous, natural promoter, resulting in an expression cassette of the invention which controls the expression of the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed transgenically.

In principle, the invention also contemplates cells, cell cultures, parts-such as, for example, roots, leaves, seeds etc. in the case of transgenic plant organisms- and transgenic propagation material such as seeds or fruits, derived from the transgenic organisms described above.

Genetically modified plants of the invention which can be consumed by humans and animals may also be used as human food or animal food for example directly or after processing in a manner known per se.

A further aspect of the invention, thus, relates to the use of the transgenic organisms of the invention described above and of the cells, cell cultures, parts-such as, for example, roots, leaves, seeds etc. in the case of transgenic plant organisms- and transgenic propagation material such as seeds or fruits derived therefrom for producing human or animal foods, pharmaceuticals or fine chemicals.

Preference is further given to a process for the recombinant production of pharmaceuticals or fine chemicals in host organisms, where a host organism is transformed with one of the expression cassettes or vectors described above, and this expression cassette comprises one or more structural genes which code for the desired fine chemical or catalyze the biosynthesis of the desired fine chemical, the transformed host organism is cultured, and the desired fine chemical is isolated from the culture medium. This process is widely applicable to fine chemicals such as enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, natural and synthetic flavorings, aromatizing substances and colorants. The production of tocopherols and tocotrienols, and of carotenoids is particularly preferred. The culturing of the transformed host organisms, and the isolation from the host organisms or from the culture medium takes place by means of processes known to the skilled worker. The production of pharmaceuticals such as, for example, antibodies or vaccines is described in Hood E E. Jilka J M (1999). Curr Opin Biotechnol 10(4):382-6; Ma J K, Vine N D (1999). Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 236:275-92.

All references cited in this specification are herewith incorporated by reference with respect to their entire disclosure content and the disclosure content specifically mentioned in this specification.

FIGURES

FIG. 1 . Sequence of KG_Fragment 86 (SEQ ID NO: 10)

FIG. 2 . Sequence of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize (SEQ ID NO: 11)

FIG. 3 . q-RT-PCR results showing whole seed-specific expression of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize. [Root_dv: a mixture of roots at 5, 15, 30 days after pollination (DAP); Leaf_dv: a mixture of leaves at 5, 15, 30 DAP; Ear a mixture of ear at 5 and 10 DAP; whole seeds: a mixture of whole seeds at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Endosperm: a mixture of endosperm at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Embryo: a mixture of embryo at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Root_V2+V4: a mixture of root at V2 and V4 stages; Shoot/leaf_V2+V4: a mixture of V2 shoot and V4 leaves; Flower_GS: a mixture of flower and geminating seeds.]

FIG. 4 . The corresponding CDS sequence of the KG_Fragment 86 (SEQ ID NO:4)

FIG. 5 . Amino acid sequence of the deduced protein of the corresponding gene of KG_Fragment 86 (SEQ ID NO: 5)

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C, combined. The sequence of AZM5_7833 (SEQ ID NO: 128) containing the predicted CDS sequence and the upstream promoter region. The 5′ UTR (127 bp) was determined by comparing the genomic sequence to the maize EST sequence and is indicated in italic, the predicted open reading frame is underlined, and the primers used to isolated the promoter region is in bold.

FIG. 7 . Sequence of Promoter KG86 (p-KG86) (SEQ ID NO: 1) FIG. 8 . Diagram of vector RKF126

FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, 9E, and 9F, combined. Sequence of RKF126 (SEQ ID NO: 56)

FIG. 10 . GUS expression in different tissues at different developmental stages driven by p-KG86 in transgenic maize with RKF126

FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C. 11A) Sequences of ZM1s61973481 (SEQ ID NO: 57), 11B) ZM1s61221800 (SEQ ID NO: 58) and 11C) ZM1s62042561 (SEQ ID NO: 59)

FIG. 12 . q-RT-PCR results showing whole seed-specific expression of MAWS42 [Root_dv: a mixture of roots at 5, 15, 30 days after pollination (DAP); Leaf_dv: a mixture of leaves at 5, 15, 30 DAP; Ear: a mixture of ear at 5 and 10 DAP; whole seeds: a mixture of whole seeds at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Endosperm: a mixture of endosperm at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Embryo: a mixture of embryo at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Root_V2+V4: a mixture of root at V2 and V4 stages; Shoot/leaf_V2+V4: a mixture of V2 shoot and V4 leaves; Flower_GS: a mixture of flower and geminating seeds.]

FIG. 13 . q-RT-PCR results showing whole seed-specific expression of MAWS45 [Root_dv: a mixture of roots at 5, 15, 30 days after pollination (DAP); Leaf_dv: a mixture of leaves at 5, 15, 30 DAP; Ear: a mixture of ear at 5 and 10 DAP; whole seeds: a mixture of whole seeds at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Endosperm: a mixture of endosperm at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Embryo: a mixture of embryo at 15, 20, 30 DAP; Root_V2+V4: a mixture of root at V2 and V4 stages; Shoot/leaf_V2+V4: a mixture of V2 shoot and V4 leaves; Flower_GS: a mixture of flower and geminating seeds.]

FIG. 14 . The corresponding CDS sequence of MAWS42 (SEQ ID NO: 6)

FIG. 15 . Amino acid sequence of the ZmTIP3-1 of the corresponding gene to MAWS42 (SEQ ID NO: 7)

FIG. 16 . The corresponding CDS sequence of MAWS45 (SEQ ID NO: 8)

FIG. 17 . Amino acid sequence of the corresponding gene to MAWS45 (SEQ ID NO: 9)

FIGS. 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D and 18E. The sequences of AZM5_17960 (SEQ ID NO: 70; FIGS. 18A and 18B, combined) and AZM5_6324 (SEQ ID NO: 71; FIGS. 18C, 18D, and 18E, combined) containing the predicted CDS sequence (ATG bold underlined), the predicted 5′-UTR (italics), and the additional putative promoter sequence The 5′ UTR sequences were determined by comparing the genomic sequence to the maize EST.

FIGS. 19A and 19B. Sequences of Promoter MAWS42 (p-MAWS42), SEQ ID NO: 2 (FIG. 19A) and promoter MAWS45 (p-MAWS45), SEQ ID NO: 3 (FIG. 19B).

FIG. 20 . Diagram of RTP1052

FIGS. 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, 21F, and 21G, combined. Sequence of RTP1052 (SEQ ID NO: 116)

FIG. 22 . Diagram of RTP1057

FIGS. 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 23E, 23F, and 23G, combined. Sequence of RTP1057 (SEQ ID NO: 117)

FIG. 24 . GUS expression in different tissues at different developmental stages driven by p-MAWS42 in transgenic maize with RTP1052

FIG. 25 . GUS expression in different tissues at different developmental stages driven by p-MAWS45 in transgenic maize with RTP1057

EXAMPLES

The invention will now be illustrated by the following Examples which are not intended, whatsoever, to limit the scope of this application.

Example 1: Identification and Validation of Maize Whole Seed Promoter KG86

Identification of Transcript of KG86

A maize gene expression profiling analysis was carried out using a commercial supplier of AFLP comparative expression technology (Keygene N.V., P.O. Box 216, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands) using a battery of RNA samples from 23 maize tissues generated by BASF (Table 1). Among the AFLP bands that were identified as having whole seed specific expression was a 231 bp fragment designated “KG_Fragment 86”. The sequence of KG_Fragment 86 is shown in FIG. 1 .

TABLE 1 Corn Tissues used for mRNA expression profiling experiment Sample Timing and Days after No. Tissue number of plants Pollination 1 Root 9 am (4 plants) 5 2 9 am (4 plants) 15 3 9 am (4 plants) 30 4 leaf above the ear 9 am (6 plants) 5 5 9 am (6 plants) 15 6 9 am (6 plants) 30 7 ear complete 9 am (6 plants) 5 8 9 am (6 plants) 10 9 Whole seed 9 am (6 plants) 15 10 9 am (6 plants) 20 11 9 am (6 plants) 30 12 Endosperm 9 am (6 plants) 15 13 9 am (6 plants) 20 14 9 am (6 plants) 30 15 Embryo 9 am (6 plants) 15 16 9 am (6 plants) 20 17 9 am (6 plants) 30 18 Female pistilate   6 plants before pollination flower 19 germinating seed 20 seeds imbibition for 3 days 20 root, veg. state V2 21 root, veg. state V4 22 leaf, veg. State V2 23 leaf, veg. State V4

Identification of the Gene Corresponding to KG_Fragment 86

Sequence of KG_Fragment 86 was used as query for BLASTN searching against BASF's in-house database, HySeq AII EST. An accession, 62260557.f_o13_1 Maize, showing 97% identities to KG_Fragment 86 was identified as having the highest homology with KG_Fragment 86. The sequence of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize is shown in FIG. 2 .

Confirmation of Expression Pattern of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize Using Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR)

In order to confirm the native expression pattern of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (q-RT-PCR) was performed using total RNA isolated from the same materials as were used for the AFLP expression profiling (Table 1).

Primers for qRT-PCR were designed based on the sequences of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize and of KG_Fragment 86 using the Vector NTI software package (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif., USA). Two sets of primers were used for PCR amplification of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize (Table 2). The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene served as a control for normalization purposes.

TABLE 2 Primer sequences for q-RT-PCR Primer Sequence (SEQ ID NO) 62260557_Forward_1 CAGCTAGCGGCTTAGTCT (12) 62260557_Reversa_1 CTCTTCGCCTGGAGGTTC (13) 62260557_Forward_2 TGGTTTCATTGGATGCAGC (14) 62260557_Reverse_2 TGCAGTGCGAGTCAGAGA(15) GAPDH_Forward GTAAAGTTCTTCCTGATCTGAAT (16) GAPDH_Reverse TCGGAAGCAGCCTTAATA (17)

q-RT-PCR was performed using SuperScript III Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif., USA) and SYBR Green QPCR Master Mix (Eurogentec, San Diego, Calif., USA) in an ABI Prism 7000 sequence detection system. cDNA was synthesized using 2-3 ug of total RNA and 1 μL reverse transcriptase in a 20 uL volume. The cDNA was diluted to a range of concentrations (15-20 ng/uL). Thirty to forty ng of cDNA was used for quantitative PCR (qPCR) in a 30 uL volume with SYBR Green QPCR Master Mix following the manufacturer's instruction. The thermocycling conditions were as follows: incubate at 50° C. for 2 minutes, denature at 95° C. for 10 minutes, and run 40 cycles at 95° C. for 15 seconds and 60° C. for 1 minute for amplification. After the final cycle of the amplification, the dissociation curve analysis was carried out to verify that the amplification occurred specifically and no primer dimer product was generated during the amplification process. The housekeeping gene glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH, primer sequences in Table 2) was used as an endogenous reference gene to normalize the calculation using the Comparative Ct (Cycle of threshold) value method. The ΔCT value was obtained by subtracting the Ct value of GAPDH gene from the Ct value of the candidate gene (62/260,557.f_o13_1 Maize), and the relative transcription quantity (expression level) of the candidate gene was expressed as 2^(−ΔCt). The q-RT-PCR results are summarized in FIG. 3 . Both primer sets gave the similar expression patterns that are equivalent to the expression patterns obtained from the AFLP data.

Annotation of the KG_Fragment 86

The coding sequence of KG_Fragment 86 was annotated based on the in silico results obtained from both BLASTX search of EST 62260557.f_o13_1 Maize sequence against GenBank protein database (nr) and the result of in silico translation of the sequence using Vector NTI software package. The EST 62260557.f_o13_1 Maize sequence encodes a partial protein with the highest homology to the rice gene annotated as hypothetical protein Osl_025737 (GenBank Accession: EAZ04505.1). The top 15 homologous sequences identified in the BlastX query are presented in Table 3.

TABLE 3 BLASTX search results of the maize EST 62260557.f_o13_1 Accession Description Score E-value EAZO4505.1 hypothetical protein Osl_025737 Oryza 152 8e−36 sativa (indica cultivar-group)] hypothetical protein [Oryza sativa (japonica)] BAC222SG.1 hypothetical protein OsJ_023945[Oryza 152 8e−36 EAZ40462.1 sativa (japonica)] 146 5e−34 CAO61483.1 unnamed protein product [Vitis vinifera] 114 2e−24 ABK28018.1 unknown [Arabidopsis thaliana] 100 6e−20 NP_001117365.1 unknown [Arabidopsis thaliana] 100 6e−20 AAF99742.1 F17L21.26 [Arabidopsis thaliana] 100 6e−20 XP_001751813.1 predicted protein [Physcomitrella patens 75 1e−12 subsp. Patens] XP_001778474.1 predicted protein [Physcomitrella patens 74 5e−12 subsp. Patens] CAN72846.1 hypothetical protein [Vitis vinifera] 69 2e−10 predicted protein [Physcomitrella patens XP_0001763429.1 subsp. Patens] 67 6e−10 CAO14607.1 unnamed protein product [Vitis vinifera] 55 2e−06 NP_001067585.1 0s11g0241200 [Oryza sativa (japonica)] 52 1e−05 ABK28287.1 unknown [Arabidopsis thaliana] 51 3e−05 NP_198895.1 unknown protein [Arabidopsis thaliana] 51 3e−05

The CDS sequence of KG_Fragment 86 is shown in FIG. 4 and the deduced amino acid sequence is shown in FIG. 5 .

Identification of the Promoter Region

For our promoter identification purposes, the sequence upstream of the start codon of the predicted KG_Fragment 86 gene was defined as the promoter p-KG86. To identify this promoter region, the sequence of 62/260,557.f_o13_1 was mapped to the BASF Plant Science proprietary genomic DNA sequence database, PUB_tigr_maize_genomic_partial_5.0.nt. One maize genomic DNA sequence, AZM5_7833 (5084 bp) was identified. This 5084 bp sequence harboured the CDS of the KG_Fragment 86 and more than 2 kb upstream sequence of the ATG start codon of this gene (FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C, combined).

Isolation of the Promoter Region by PCR Amplification

The putative promoter region was isolated via genomic PCR using the following sequence

Forward primer: (SEQ ID NO: 18) tcccgtgtccgtcaatgtgata Reverse primer: (SEQ ID NO: 19) Ggactcacgagctgaggctcgg

The expected 1198 bp fragment was amplified from maize genomic DNA, and anotated as promoter KG86 (p-KG86). Sequence of p-KG86 was shown in FIG. 7 .

PLACE Analysis of the Promoter KG86

Cis-acting motifs in the 1198 bp KG86 promoter region were identified using PLACE (a database of Plant Cis-acting Regulatory DNA elements) using the Genomatix database suite. The results are listed in Table 4. Although no putative consensus TATA box was identified in the forward strand, a CAAT Box motif is found at nucleotide position 701-705 in the forward strand.

TABLE 4 PLACE analysis results of the 1198bp promoter, p-KG86 Start End Mis- IUPAC pos. pos. Strand matches Score Sequence (SEQ ID NO) WBOXATNPR1    2   16 − 0 1 ATTGACGGACACGGG (20) DPBFCOREDCDC3    2    8 − 0 1 ACACGGG ASF1MOTIFCAMV    7   19 − 0 1 CACATTGACGGAC (21) S1FBOXSORPS1L21   41   46 − 0 1 ATGGTA RYREPEATGMGY2   42   52 + 0 1 ACCATGCATAC (22) DRECRTCOREAT   61   67 − 0 1 GCCGACC GCCCORE   65   71 + 0 1 GGCCGCC BIHD1OS  103  107 + 0 1 TGTCA SORLIP1AT  131  143 − 0 1 TAGCTAGCCACGC (23) GT1GMSCAM4  159  164 − 0 1 GAAAAA IBOXCORE  171  177 + 0 1 GATAATA TBOXATGAPB  180  185 + 0 1 ACTTTG BIHD1OS  184  188 + 0 1 TGTCA S1FBOXSORPS1L21  188  193 + 0 1 ATGGTA MYB1AT  208  213 − 0 1 TAACCA TATABOX4  211  217 − 0 1 TATATAA MYBST1  244  250 + 0 1 AGGATAG IBOXCORE  275  281 + 0 1 GATAAAA BIHD1OS  300  304 − 0 1 TGTCA MYBCOREATCYCB1  306  310 + 0 1 AACGG RYREPEATGMGY2  315  325 + 0 1 CGCATGCATTG (24) CCAATBOX1  322  326 − 0 1 CCAAT CGACGOSAMY3  328  332 + 0 1 CGACG CGCGBOXAT  345  350 + 0 1 GCGCGT CGCGBOXAT  345  350 − 0 1 ACGCGC SURECOREATSULTR11  347  353 − 0 1 GAGACGC DPBFCOREDCDC3  351  357 − 0 1 ACACGAG PALBOXAPC  362  368 + 0 1 CCGTCCA CMSRE1IBSPOA  362  368 − 0 1 TGGACGG SORLIP1AT  379  391 + 0 1 TCTCACGCCACGT (25) ABREATRD2  383  395 − 0 1 GAGCACGTGGCGT (26) CACGTGMOTIF  384  396 + 0 1 CGCCACGTGCTCA (27) RAV1AAT  395  399 + 0 1 CAACA ASF1MOTIFCAMV  411  423 − 0 1 GCTGGTGACGAAC (28) ASF1MOTIFCAMV  438  450 + 0 1 AGGGATGACGCAT (29) LTRE1HVBLT49  450  455 − 0 1 CCGAAA BIHD1OS  460  464 + 0 1 TGTCA MYBST1  485  491 − 0 1 TGGATAT TATCCAOSAMY  486  492 + 0 1 TATCCAA RAV1AAT  490  494 + 0 1 CAACA EMHVCHORD  524  532 + 0 1 TGTAAAGTC 300ELEMENT  524  532 + 0 1 TGTAAAGTC TAAAGSTKST1  524  530 + 0 1 TGTAAAG NTBBF1ARROLB  525  531 − 0 1 ACTTTAC CACGTGMOTIF  544  556 − 0 1 CTGCACGTGCTGT (30) CACGTGMOTIF  545  557 + 0 1 CAGCACGTGCAGA (31) HEXMOTIFTAH3H4  561  573 + 0 1 ATTAACGTCATTA (32) TGACGTVMAMY  563  575 − 0 1 AATAATGACGTTA (33) CPBCSPOR  572  577 + 0 1 TATTAG RYREPEATGMGY2  588  598 − 0 1 ATCATGCATCT (34) DPBFCOREDCDC3  618  624 + 0 1 ACACAAG OSE2ROOTNODULE  622  626 − 0 1 CTCTT MYBPLANT  667  677 − 0 1 CACCAACCAGC (35) BOXLCOREDCPAL  670  676 − 0 1 ACCAACC CGCGBOXAT  684  689 + 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT  684  689 − 0 1 GCGCGC CCAATBOX1  696  700 − 0 1 CCAAT CCAATBOX1  701  705 + 0 1 CCAAT SORLIP1AT  721  733 + 0 1 CCACTCGCCACGC (36) SORLIP2AT  738  748 − 0 1 GGGGCCATTCA (37) CGCGBOXAT  774  779 + 0 1 CCGCGC CGCGBOXAT  774  779 − 0 1 GCGCGG CGCGBOXAT  776  781 + 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT  776  781 − 0 1 GCGCGC SITEIIATCYTC  777  787 − 0 1 TGGGCCGCGCG (38) CGCGBOXAT  778  783 + 0 1 GCGCGG CGCGBOXAT  778  783 − 0 1 CCGCGC DRECRTCOREAT  793  799 − 0 1 GCCGACT SORLIP1AT  801  813 + 0 1 GAACGCGCCACGG (39) CGCGBOXAT  803  808 + 0 1 ACGCGC CGCGBOXAT  803  808 − 0 1 GCGCGT SORLIP2AT  829  839 + 0 1 AGGGCCGAGGC (40) CGCGBOXAT  841  846 + 0 1 GCGCGG CGCGBOXAT  841  846 − 0 1 CCGCGC OCTAMOTIF2  842  849 + 0 1 CGCGGCAT BS1EGCCR  864  869 + 0 1 AGCGGG RYREPEATBNNAPA  876  886 + 0 1 TGCATGCAGGT (41) INTRONLOWER  877  882 − 0 1 TGCAGG RYREPEATBNNAPA  879  889 + 0 1 TGCATGCAGCC (42) ASF1MOTIFCAMV  902  914 − 0 1 ACGACTGACGAGG (43) BOXCPSAS1  921  927 + 0 1 CTCCCAC MYBPZM  937  943 + 0 1 CCCAACC CGCGBOXAT  963  968 + 0 1 ACGCGC CGCGBOXAT  963  968 − 0 1 GCGCGT ABREMOTIFAOSOSEM  985  997 + 0 1 GCCTACGTGTCGG (44) DRECRTCOREAT  992  998 − 0 1 GCCGACA ABREOSRAB21 1014 1026 − 0 1 GGGTACGTGGGCG (45) UPRMOTIFIIAT 1025 1043 + 0 1 CCCGCCCCGTTCTCCCACG (46) MYBCOREATCYCB1 1031 1035 − 0 1 AACGG IRO2OS 1036 1048 − 0 1 GGGCACGTGGGAG (47) BOXCPSAS1 1036 1042 + 0 1 CTCCCAC ABREOSRAB21 1037 1049 + 0 1 TCCCACGTGCCCC (48) CGCGBOXAT 1057 1062 + 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT 1057 1062 − 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT 1059 1064 + 0 1 GCGCGT CGCGBOXAT 1059 1064 − 0 1 ACGCGC CCAATBOX1 1068 1072 − 0 1 CCAAT WBOXNTCHN48 1072 1086 + 0 1 GCTGACCCGCCCTTC (49) CGCGBOXAT 1092 1097 + 0 1 CCGCGC CGCGBOXAT 1092 1097 − 0 1 GCGCGG SORLIP2AT 1107 1117 − 0 1 GGGGCCCGGAC (50) SORLIP2AT 1110 1120 + 0 1 CGGGCCCCAAC (51) HEXAMERATH4 1129 1134 + 0 1 CCGTCG CGACGOSAMY3 1130 1134 − 0 1 CGACG CGACGOSAMY3 1133 1137 − 0 1 CGACG SURECOREATSULTR11 1135 1141 − 0 1 GAGACGA SITEIIATCYTC 1154 1164 − 0 1 TGGGCTCGATC (52) QELEMENTZMZM13 1159 1173 − 0 1 CCAGGTCAGTGGGCT (53) WBOXNTCHN48 1164 1178 + 0 1 ACTGACCTGGCCCCC (54) SORLIP2AT 1167 1177 − 0 1 GGGGCCAGGTC (55)

Binary Vector Construction for Maize Transformation to Evaluate the Function of p-KG86

To facilitate subcloning, the 1198 bp promoter fragment was modified by the addition of a PacI restriction enzyme site at its 5′ end and a BsiWI site at its 3′end. The PacI-pKG86-BsiWI promoter fragment was digested and ligated into a PacI and BsiWI digested BPS basic binary vector HF84. HF84 comprises a plant selectable marker expression cassette (p-Ubi::c-EcEsdA::t-NOS) as well as a promoter evaluation cassette that consists of a multiple cloning site for insertion of putative promoters via PacI and BaiWI, rice MET1-1 intron to supply intron-mediated enhancement in monocot cells, GUS reporter gene, and NOS terminator. The resulting binary vector comprising the p-KG86::i-MET1::GUS::t-NOS expression cassette was named as RKF126, and was used to evaluate the expression pattern driven by the p-KG86 promoter. FIG. 8 is a diagram of RKF126. Sequence of the binary vector RKF126 is shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, 9E, and 9F, combined.

Promoter Evaluation in Transgenic Maize with RKF126

Expression patterns and levels driven by the p-KG86 promoter were measured using GUS histochemical analysis following the protocol in the art (Jefferson 1987). Maize transformation was conducted using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. Ten and five single copy events for T0 and T1 plants were chosen for the promoter analysis. GUS expression was measured at various developmental stages:

1) Roots and leaves at 5-leaf stage

2) Stem at V-7 stage

2) Leaves, husk and silk at flowering stage (first emergence of silk)

3) Spikelets/Tassel (at pollination)

5) Ear or Kernels at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 days after pollination (DAP)

The results indicated that promoter p-KG86 of RKF126 expressed specifically in pollen and in whole seeds (FIG. 10 ).

TABLE 4A Summary of tested tissues and relative expression intensities for pKG86 Tissues Stages tested Leaf Root Stem husk silk Spikelets/Tassel/pollen un-pollinated cob pollinated cob embryo endosperm seedling (5-leaf) − − V-7 Flowering (emergence of silk) − − − − pollination ++ 5 DAP 10 DAP + ++ ++ 15 DAP ++ ++ 20 DAP +++ +++ 25 DAP +++ +++ 48 hrs after imibibition ++++ ++++ 72 hrs after imibibition ++++ ++++ 1 week germination − − − = no expression, + = weak expression, ++ = medium expression, +++ = strong expression, ++++ = very strong expression

Example 2: Identification and Validation of Maize Whole Seed Promoter MAWS42 and MAWS45

Identification of Transcript of MAWS42 and MAWS45

A microarray study was conducted to identify transcripts with whole seed-specific expression in maize using the same panel of maize RNA samples shown in Table 1. The twenty-three labeled RNAs of these maize tissues were hybridized separately to 23 of our custom designed BPS maize Affymetrix chips, labeled with fluorescent streptavidin antibody, washed, stained and scanned as instructed in the Affymetrix Expression Analysis Technical Manual.

The chip hybridization data were analyzed using Genedata Specialist software and relative expression level was determined based on the hybridization signal intensity of each tissue.

Three of the BPS maize chip probe sets were selected as candidate transcripts showing 3-8 fold higher expression in whole seeds as compared to other tissues: ZM1s61973481_at, ZM1s61221800_s_at and ZM1s62042561 at. Consensus sequences of ZM1s61973481_at, ZM1s61221800_s_at and ZM1s62042561_at are shown in FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C, respectively.

Preliminary sequence analysis indicated that ZM1s61221800 is included in ZM1s62042561, therefore, we considered ZM1s61221800 and ZM1s62042561 to represent the same gene; further studies for this gene were conducted based on ZM1s62042561. For the purpose of presentation convenience we named ZM1s61973481 as candidate MAWS42 and ZM1s62042561 as MAWS45.

Confirmation of Expression Pattern of MAWS42 and MAWS45 Using Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (q-RT-PCR)

Confirmation of the native expression patterns of MAWS42 and MAWS45 was carried out via quantitative reverse transcription PCR (q-RT-PCR) using total RNA isolated from the same materials as what used for the chip study (Table 1).

Primers for qRT-PCR were designed based on the sequences of ZM1s61973481 for MAWS42 and ZM1s62042561 for MAWS45 using Vector NTI software package. Two sets of primers were used for PCR amplification of each gene. The sequences of primers are in Table 5. The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene served as a control for normalization.

TABLE 5 Primer sequences for q-RT-PCR Primer Sequences (SEQ ID No) MAWS42_Forward_1 CTGGCCGTGGGCTTCCTGCT (60) MAWS42_Reverse_1 AAGGGCCCAGCCAGTACACCCA (61) MAWS42_Forward_2 TGGAGGCACCACTGGGTGTACTGG (62) MAWS42_Reverse_2 GCTAGTAGTCCTCTGGCGCGAGCG (63) MAWS45_Forward_1 GCCAACTCTTCCATTTCGCCAAGG (64) MAWS45_Reverse_1 GGAGGATTGGCGGTGACAGTCTCA (65) MAWS45_Forward_2 AGGAAAAAATGGCGGCTCGCTGG (66) MAWS45_Reverse_2 CCATGCAAATGGAGGATTGGCGG (67) GAPDH_Forward GTAAAGTTCTTCCTGATCTGAAT (68) GAPDH_Reverse TCGGAAGCAGCCTTAATA (69) q-RT-PCR was performed using SuperScript III Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif., USA) and SYBR Green QPCR Master Mix (Eurogentec, San Diego, Calif., USA) in an ABI Prism 7000 sequence detection system. cDNA was synthesized using 2-3 □g of total RNA and 1 μL reverse transcriptase in a 20 □L volume. The cDNA was diluted to a range of concentrations (15-20 ng/□L). Thirty to forty ng of cDNA was used for quantitative PCR (qPCR) in a 30 □L volume with SYBR Green QPCR Master Mix following the manufacturer's instruction. The thermocycling conditions were as follows: incubate at 50° C. for 2 minutes, denature at 95° C. for 10 minutes, and run 40 cycles at 95° C. for 15 seconds and 60° C. for 1 minute for amplification. After the final cycle of the amplification, the dissociation curve analysis was carried out to verify that the amplification occurred specifically and no primer dimer product was generated during the amplification process. The housekeeping gene glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH, primer sequences in Table 2) was used as an endogenous reference gene to normalize the calculation using the Comparative Ct (Cycle of threshold) value method. The ΔCT value was obtained by subtracting the Ct value of GAPDH gene from the Ct value of the candidate genes. The relative transcription quantity (expression level) of the candidate gene was expressed as 2-ΔCT. The qRT-PCR results were summarized in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 . Both primer sets gave similar expression patterns as were obtained in the microarray study.

Annotation of MAWS42 and MAWS45

The coding sequences corresponding to the MAWS42 and MAWS45 genes were annotated based on the in silico results obtained from both BLASTX of the chip consensus sequences of ZM1s61973481 and of ZM1s62042561 against GenBank protein database (nr) and results from the translation program of Vector NTI software package. The ZM1s61973481 encodes partially a maize Tonoplast intrinsic protein 3-1(ZmTIP3). The CDS of ZmTIP3-1 (GenBank Accession:NP_0011050321) is shown in FIG. 14 , the translated amino acid sequence is shown in FIG. 15 , and the top 15 homologous sequences from the BLASTX query are presented in Table 6.

TABLE 6 BLASTX search results of the maize ZM1s61973481 (MAWS42) Accession Description Score E-value NP_001105032.1 TIP31_MAIZE Aquaporin TIP3-1 150 8e−73 (Tonoplast intrinsic protein 3-1) NP_001064933.1 Os10g0492600 [Oryza sativa (japonica)] 147 4e−64 NP_001105045.1 TIP32_MAIZE Aquaporin TIP3-2 139 5e−63 (Tonoplast intrinsic protein 3-2) (ZmTIP3-2) BAA08107.1 membrane protein MP23 precursor 98 5e−42 [Cucurbita cv. Kurokawa Amakuri] CAA44669.1 tonoplast intrinsic protein [Phaseolus vulgaris] 98 4e−40 T10253 membrane protein MP28 BAA08108.1 [Cucurbita cv. Kurokawa Amakuri] 92 6e−39 ABK22410.1 unknown [Picea sitchensis] 98 6e−33 ABK22242.1 unknown [Picea sitchensis] 94 5e−32 NP_001053371.1| 0s04g0527900 [Oryza sativa (japonica 85 2e−24 cultivar-group)] CAA64952.1 tonopiast intrinsic protein [Tulipa 96 2e−24 gesneriana] EAY94920.1 hypothetical protein Osl_016153 [Oryza 86 2e−24 sativa [indica cultivar-group)] CAB39758.1 major intrinsic protein [Picea abies] 111 4e−24 AAC39480.1 aquaporin [Vernicia fordii] 87 8e−24 CAO62035.1 unnamed protein product (Vitis vinifera] 110 5e−22 BAD04010.1 tonoplast intrinsic protein [Prunus persica] 109 6e−22

The ZM1s62042561(MAWS45) encodes a partial protein that has highest homology to a maize unknown protein (GenBank Accession: ACF84237.1), The CDS of this gene is shown in FIG. 16 , the translated amino acid sequence is shown in FIG. 17 , and the top 15 homologous sequences from the BLASTX query are presented in Table 7.

TABLE 7 BLASTX search results of the maize ZM1s62042561 (MAWS45) Accession Description Score E-value ACF84237 1 unknown [Zea mays] 536 e−152 ACG56678.1 tryptophan aminotransferase [Zea mays] 534 e−151 NP_001054781.1 Os05g01639300 [Oryza sativa (japonica cultivar- 239 e−100 group)] EAY96895.1 hypothetical protein Osl_017928 [Oryza sativa 239 e−100 (indica cultivar-)] EAY96696.1 hypothetical protein Osl_017929 [Oryza sativa 233 4e−98 (indica cultivar-group)] EAY72702.1 hypothetical protein Osl_000549 [Oryza sativa 167 9e−85 (indica cultivar-group)] BAD68317.1 putative alliinase precursor [Oryza sativa Japonica 167 9e−85 Group] EAZ10701.1 hypothetical protein OsJ_000526 [Oryza sativa 167 9e−85 (japonica cultivar-group)] ACF80703.1 unknown [Zea mays] 204 2e−79 EAZ33023.1 hypothetical protein OsJ_016506 [Oryza sativa 158 3e−7 (japonica cultivar-group)] AAM69848.1 putative alliin lyase [Aegilops tauschii] 265 1e−73 NP_001042135.1 Os01g0169800 [Oryza sativa (japonica cultivar- 167 7e−73 group)] CAO64270.1 unnamed protein product [Vitis vinifera] 221 5e−71 CAN80923.1 hypothetical protein [Vitis vinifera] 221 7e−71 CAO16122.1 unnamed protein product [Vitis vinifera] 157 1e−61

Identification of the Promoter Region

The sequences upstream of the start codons of the corresponding genes to MAWS42 and MAWS45 were defined as the putative promoters p-MAWS42 and p-MAWS45. To identify these putative promoter regions, the sequences of ZM1s61973481 and ZM1s62042561 were mapped to the BASF Plant Science proprietary genomic DNA sequence database, PUB_tigr_maize_genomic_partial_5.0.nt. Two maize genomic DNA sequences, AZM5_17960 (3985 bp) and AZM5_6324 (4565 bp) were identified, respectively. The sequence of AZM5_17960 has about 1 kb sequence upstream of the predicted CDS of the corresponding gene to MAWS42 and AZM56324 has about 1.5 kb sequence upstream of the predicted CDS of the corresponding gene to MAWS45. These upstream sequences were considered as putative promoter MAWS42 (p-MAWS42) and Promoter MAWS45 (p-MAWS45). FIGS. 18A and 18B, combined, and FIGS. 18C, 18D, and 18E, combined, show sequences of AZM5_17960 and sequence AZM5_6324, respectively.

Isolation of the Promoter Region by PCR Amplification

The putative promoter sequences were isolated by genomic PCR using the sequence specific primers indicated in Table 8. A fragment of 1008 bp of AZM5_17960 and a fragment of 1492 bp of AZM5_6324 were amplified from maize genomic DNA. These fragments were named as promoter MAWS42 (p-MAWS42) and promoter MAWS45 (p-MAWS45), respectively. Sequences of p-MAWS42 and p-MAWS45 are shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, respectively.

TABLE 8 Primers for PCR cloning of pMAWS42 and p-MAWS45 Primer Sequence (SEQ ID NO) p-MAWS42_forward taactcatatccggttagata (72) p-MAWS42_reverse gtcgtcgccaaataaaaacctacc (73) p-MAWS45_forward atttaaatgtgttggataatct (74) p-MAWS45_reverse ctcctcctcctcctcctcctcct (75)

PLACE Analysis of the Promoters MAWS42 and MAWS45

Cis-acting motifs in the 1008 bp of p-MAWS42 and 1492 bp of p-MAWS45 promoter regions were identified using PLACE (a database of Plant Cis-acting Regulatory DNA elements) using the Genomatix database suite. The results are listed in Table 9 and Table 10.

TABLE 9 PLACE analysis results of the 1008bp promoter p-MAWS42 Start End Mis- IUPAC pos. pos. Strand matches Score Sequence SEQ ID No) PREATPRODH    3    8 + 0 1 ACTCAT REBETALGLHCB21    7   13 − 0 1 CGGATAT NAPINMOTIFBN   27   33 + 0 1 TACACAT CPBCSPOR   50   55 − 0 1 TATTAG SEF1MOTIF   52   60 − 0 1 ATATTTATT SP8BFIBSP8BIB   74   80 − 0 1 TACTATT SEF1MOTIF   85   93 − 0 1 ATATTTAAT TATABOXOSPAL   86   92 − 0 1 TATTTAA PREATPRODH   92   97 − 0 1 ACTCAT 8IHD1OS  109  113 − 0 1 TGTCA CCAATBOX1  126  130 − 0 1 CCAAT ELRECOREPCRP1  140  154 + 0 1 ATTGACCCTATTTTG (76) CPBCSPOR  155  160 − 0 1 TATTAG D3GMAUX28  172  182 + 0 1 TATTTGCTTAA (77) MYBPZM  186  192 − 0 1 TCCTACC TATABOX2  214  220 + 0 1 TATAAAT IBOXCORE  218  224 − 0 1 GATAATT SREATMSD  219  225 + 0 1 ATTATCC MYBST1  220  226 − 0 1 TGGATAA AMYBOX2  221  227 + 0 1 TATCCAT TATCCAOSAMY  221  227 + 0 1 TATCCAT TATABOX2  239  245 + 0 1 TATAAAT PREATPRODH  265  270 + 0 1 ACTCAT LTRECOREATCOR15  274  280 + 0 1 CCCGACG CGACGOSAMY3  276  280 + 0 1 CGACG HEXAMERATH4  276  281 − 0 1 CCGTCG PREATPRODH  321  326 + 0 1 ACTCAT TATABOX4  326  332 − 0 1 TATATAA RAV1AAT  354  358 − 0 1 CAACA DPBFCOREDCDC3  360  366 + 0 1 ACACTAG S1FBOXSORPS1L21  375  380 − 0 1 ATGGTA HDZIP2ATATHB2  382  390 − 0 1 TAATAATTA TATABOX3  386  392 + 0 1 TATTAAT TGTCACACMCUCUMISIN  448  454 + 0 1 TGTCACA BIHD1OS  448  452 + 0 1 TGTCA MYBPLANT  454  464 − 0 1 CACCAAACATT (78) CANBNNAPA  460  468 − 0 1 CTAACACCA MYB1LEPR  464  470 + 0 1 GTTAGTT GT1CORE  485  495 + 0 1 AGGTTAATTAC (79) OSE1ROOTNODULE  502  508 + 0 1 AAAGATG LTRE1HVBLT49  525  530 + 0 1 CCGAAA MYBCOREATCYCB1  533  537 + 0 1 AACGG 2SSEEDPROTBANAPA  541  549 + 0 1 CAAACACAC RAV1AAT  554  558 + 0 1 CAACA BOXIINTPATPB  603  608 + 0 1 ATAGAA NTBBF1ARROLB  618  624 + 0 1 ACTTTAG TAAAGSTKST1  619  625 − 0 1 CCTAAAG PALBOXAPC  623  629 − 0 1 CCGTCCT CAATATGGMSAUR  637  642 + 0 1 CATATG CATATGGMSAUR  637  642 − 0 1 CATATG CCAATBOX1  647  651 − 0 1 CCAAT LTRE1HVBLT49  657  662 + 0 1 CCGAAA WBOXHVISO1  690  704 + 0 1 GGTGACTTGGCAGTT (80) REBETALGLHCB21  718  724 + 0 1 CGGATAA SREATMSD  719  725 − 0 1 TTTATCC IBOXCORE  720  726 + 0 1 GATAAAG TAAAGSTKST1  720  726 + 0 1 GATAAAG OSE1ROOTNODULE  723  729 + 0 1 AAAGATG PALBOXAPC  784  790 − 0 1 CCGTCCA CMSRE1IBSPOA  784  790 + 0 1 TGGACGG SORLIP2AT  788  798 − 0 1 GGGGCCGCCCG (81) GCCCORE  790  796 − 0 1 GGCCGCC ABRELATERD  799  811 + 0 1 TGAGACGTGCCGC (82) SURECOREATSULTR11  800  806 + 0 1 GAGACGT GCCCORE  806  812 + 0 1 TGCCGCC SORLIP2AT  813  823 − 0 1 CGGGCCAGCTG (83) BS1EGCCR  820  825 − 0 1 AGCGGG CACGTGMOTIF  829  841 − 0 1 CGCCACGTGTGGG (84) ABREATRD2  830  842 + 0 1 CCACACGTGGCGC (85) DPBFCOREDCDC3  832  838 + 0 1 ACACGTG SORLIP1AT  834  846 − 0 1 CTCCGCGCCACGT (86) CGCGBOXAT  839  844 + 0 1 GCGCGG CGCGBOXAT  839  844 − 0 1 CCGCGC CGCGBOXAT  849  854 + 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT  849  854 − 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT  851  856 + 0 1 GCGCGG CGCGBOXAT  851  851 − 0 1 CCGCGC SORLIP1AT  855  867 + 0 1 GGCTCGGCCACGT (87) ABREOSRAB21  859  871 − 0 1 TATAACGTGGCCG (88) SORLIP1AT  867  879 + 0 1 TTATAAGCCACGC (89) CGCGBOXAT  876  881 + 0 1 ACGCGC CGCGBOXAT  876  881 − 0 1 GCGCGT CGCGBOXAT  878  883 + 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT  878  883 − 0 1 GCGCGC HEXAMERATH4  887  892 + 0 1 CCGTCG CGACGOSAMY3  888  892 − 0 1 CGACG WBOXNTCHN48  901  915 + 0 1 CCTGACTACTGCACA (90) DPBFCOREDCDC3  913  919 + 0 1 ACACTCG SURECOREATSULTR11  917  923 − 0 1 GAGACGA CGCGBOXAT  942  947 + 0 1 CCGCGG CGCGBOXAT  942  947 − 0 1 CCGCGG SURECOREATSULTR11  963  969 − 0 1 GAGACGG TAAAGSTKST1  974  980 + 0 1 GCTAAAG MYBPLANT  982  992 − 0 1 AACCTACCTCT (91) BOXLCOREDCPAL  985  991 − 0 1 ACCTACC CGACGOSAMY3 1002 1006 + 0 1 CGACG

TABLE 10 PLACE analysis results of the 1492bp promoter p-MAWS45 Start End Mis- IUPAC pos. pos. Strand matches Score Sequence RAV1AAT 2 6 − 0 1 CAACA TATCCAOSAMY 4 10 − 0 1 TATCCAA MYBST1 5 11 + 0 1 TGGATAA SREATMSD 6 12 − 0 1 ATTATCC IBOXCORE 7 13 + 0 1 GATAATC OSE1ROOTNODULE 10 16 − 0 1 AAAGATT -300ELEMENT 12 20 − 0 1 TGCAAAAGA RYREPEATBNNAPA 14 24 − 0 1 TCCATGCAAAA (92) AMYBOX2 20 26 − 0 1 TATCCAT TATCCAOSAMY 20 26 − 0 1 TATCCAT MYBST1 21 27 + 0 1 TGGATAT RAV1AAT 29 33 − 0 1 CAACA MYCATRD2 44 50 − 0 1 CACATGG MYCATERD 45 51 + 0 1 CATGTGC ANAERO2CONSENSUS 59 64 + 0 1 AGCAGC CCAATBOX1 80 84 + 0 1 CCAAT RYREPEATBNNAPA 117 127 + 0 1 AACATGCAAAT (93) BIHD1OS 133 137 + 0 1 TGTCA DPBFCOREDCDC3 142 148 + 0 1 ACACCAG BOXLCOREDCPAL 157 163 − 0 1 ACCATCC S1FBOXSORPS1L21 159 164 + 0 1 ATGGTA AMYBOX2 218 224 − 0 1 TATCCAT TATCCAOSAMY 218 224 − 0 1 TATCCAT MYBST1 219 225 + 0 1 TGGATAT WBOXATNPR1 230 244 + 0 1 ATTGACAATAAAACA (94) BIHD1OS 232 236 − 0 1 TGTCA MYB1AT 248 253 + 0 1 TAACCA SEF3MOTIFGM 255 260 − 0 1 AACCCA MYB1AT 275 280 − 0 1 AAACCA -10PEHVPSBD 291 296 − 0 1 TATTCT P1BS 312 319 + 0 1 GTATATAC P1BS 312 319 − 0 1 GTATATAC RAV1AAT 321 325 + 0 1 CAACA CIACADIANLELHC 341 350 + 0 1 CAAAGCCATC (95) MYBPZM 351 357 + 0 1 TCCAACC RYREPEATGMGY2 372 382 − 0 1 ACCATGCATAT (96) RAV1AAT 384 388 + 0 1 CAACA WBOXATNPR1 398 412 + 0 1 ATTGACATGCATATA (97) BIFID1OS 400 404 − 0 1 TGTCA RYREPEATGMGY2 401 411 + 0 1 GACATGCATAT (98) SORLREP3AT 426 434 − 0 1 TGTATATAT SP8BFIBSP8BIB 443 449 + 0 1 TACTATT CATATGGMSAUR 451 456 + 0 1 CATATG CATATGGMSAUR 451 456 − 0 1 CATATG TATABOX4 457 463 − 0 1 TATATAA SEF1MOTIF 461 469 + 0 1 ATATTTATA TATABOX2 463 469 − 0 1 TATAAAT ANAERO1CONSENSUS 481 487 − 0 1 AAACAAA BIHD1OS 492 496 + 0 1 TGTCA DPBFCOREDCDC3 507 513 − 0 1 ACACACG GT1GMSCAM4 521 526 − 0 1 GAAAAA MYB1AT 543 548 + 0 1 TAACCA DPBFCOREDCDC3 563 569 + 0 1 ACACGCG CGCGBOXAT 565 570 + 0 1 ACGCGT CGCGBOXAT 565 570 − 0 1 ACGCGT RAV1AAT 589 593 + 0 1 CAACA MYCATERD 591 597 − 0 1 CATGTGT DPBFCOREDCDC3 591 597 + 0 1 ACACATG MYCATRD2 592 598 + 0 1 CACATGG S1FBOXSORPS1L21 595 600 + 0 1 ATGGTA CCA1ATLHCB1 603 610 − 0 1 AAAAATCT -300ELEMENT 604 612 − 0 1 TGAAAAATC GT1GMSCAM4 606 611 − 0 1 GAAAAA WBOXATNPR1 607 621 − 0 1 TTTGACACATGAAAA (99) MYCATRD2 610 616 − 0 1 CACATGA MYCATERD 611 617 + 0 1 CATGTGT DPBFCOREDCDC3 611 617 − 0 1 ACACATG BIHD1OS 615 619 + 0 1 TGTCA PREATPRODH 655 660 + 0 1 ACTCAT SURECOREATSULTR11 671 677 + 0 1 GAGACGA PALBOXAPC 703 709 − 0 1 CCGTCCG GT1GMSCAM4 718 723 − 0 1 GAAAAA CPBCSPOR 733 738 − 0 1 TATTAG SEF1MOTIF 740 748 − 0 1 ATATTTATT RAV1BAT 771 783 + 0 1 TACCACCTGTTGC (100) RAV1AAT 778 782 − 0 1 CAACA INTRONLOWER 792 797 + 0 1 TGCAGG MYBPLANT 794 804 − 0 1 CACCAAACCTG (101) SEBFCONSSTPR10A 802 808 − 0 1 CTGTCAC BIHD1OS 803 807 − 0 1 TGTCA RYREPEATGMGY2 814 824 + 0 1 AACATGCATTT (102) L1BOXATPDF1 818 825 − 0 1 TAAATGCA RAV1AAT 828 832 − 0 1 CAACA MYB2AT 847 857 − 0 1 CGATTAACTGC (103) RAV1AAT 867 871 − 0 1 CAACA 2SSEEDPROTBANAPA 875 883 + 0 1 CAAACACGA DPBFCOREDCDC3 878 884 + 0 1 ACACGAG SORLIP1AT 931 943 − 0 1 ACGACGGCCACCG (104) HEXAMERATH4 937 942 + 0 1 CCGTCG CGACGOSAMY3 938 942 − 0 1 CGACG DPBFCOREDCDC3 959 965 + 0 1 ACACCAG CCAATBOX1 967 971 + 0 1 CCAAT SV40COREENHAN 968 975 − 0 1 GTGGATTG RAV1AAT 980 984 + 0 1 CAACA CGCGBOXAT 986 991 + 0 1 CCGCGC CGCGBOXAT 986 991 − 0 1 GCGCGG WBOXNTCHN48 987 1001 − 0 1 ACTGACCGAGGCGCG (105) MYB2AT 997 1007 − 0 1 TCTATAACTGA (106) SORLIP1AT 1009 1021 − 0 1 CAGAAGGCCACGC (107) ANAERO1CONSENSUS 1022 1028 + 0 1 AAACAAA AACACOREOSGLUB1 1023 1029 + 0 1 AACAAAC CATATGGMSAUR 1033 1038 + 0 1 CATATG CATATGGMSAUR 1033 1038 − 0 1 CATATG MYCATERD 1055 1061 − 0 1 CATGTGT DPBFCOREDCDC3 1055 1061 + 0 1 ACACATG RYREPEATGMGY2 1056 1066 + 0 1 CACATGCATCC (108) MYCATRD2 1056 1062 + 0 1 CACATGC DPBFCOREDCDC3 1085 1091 − 0 1 ACACAAG IBOXCORE 1106 1112 + 0 1 GATAACC SEF3MOTIFGM 1109 1114 + 0 1 AACCCA SORLIP1AT 1110 1122 + 0 1 ACCCAGGCCACAT (109) CGCGBOXAT 1130 1135 + 0 1 CCGCGC CGCGBOXAT 1130 1135 − 0 1 GCGCGG CGCGBOXAT 1135 1140 + 0 1 CCGCGC CGCGBOXAT 1135 1140 − 0 1 GCGCGG GCCCORE 1138 1144 + 0 1 CGCCGCC SEF3MOTIFGM 1156 1161 + 0 1 AACCCA ACGTOSGLUB1 1181 1193 − 0 1 ACGTACGTGCAAG (110) CGCGBOXAT 1198 1203 + 0 1 GCGCGC CGCGBOXAT 1198 1203 − 0 1 GCGCGC MYBCOREATCYCB1 1207 1211 − 0 1 AACGG MYBCOREATCYCB1 1244 1248 − 0 1 AACGG SORLIP1AT 1256 1268 + 0 1 GAGTGCGCCACGC (111) LTRE1HVBLT49 1268 1273 + 0 1 CCGAAA ASF1MOTIFCAMV 1280 1292 + 0 1 CGAGCTGACGAGC (112) SORLIP1AT 1294 1306 + 0 1 CTAGACGCCACCG (113) CGCGBOXAT 1311 1316 + 0 1 GCGCGG CGCGBOXAT 1311 1316 − 0 1 CCGCGC SORLIP1AT 1316 1328 − 0 1 TGCCTTGCCACGC (114) SURECOREATSULTR11 1340 1346 − 0 1 GAGACCC ASF1MOTIFCAMV 1349 1361 + 0 1 ATAGCTGACGAGG (115) PALBOXAPC 1429 1435 + 0 1 CCGTCCC INTRONLOWER 1434 1439 − 0 1 TGCAGG INTRONLOWER 1441 1446 + 0 1 TGCAGG

Binary Vector Construction for Maize Transformation to Evaluate the Function of p-MAWS42 and p-MAWS45

The 1008 bp promoter fragment of p-MAWS42 was amplified by PCR, incorporating a SwaI restriction enzyme site at its 5′ end and a BsiWI site at its 3′end. The resulting fragment was digested and ligated into a SwaI and BsiWI digested BPS basic binary vector CB1006. Plasmid CB1006 is a plant transformation vector that comprises a plant selectable marker expression cassette (p-Ubi::c-ZmAHASL2::t-NOS) as well as a promoter evaluation cassette that consists of a multiple cloning site for insertion of putative promoters via SwaI and BsiWI sites, rice MET1-1 intron to supply intron-mediated enhancement in monocot cells, GUS reporter gene, and NOS terminator. The resulting binary vector comprising the p-MAWS42::i-MET1::GUS::t-NOS expression cassette was named as RTP1052, and was used to evaluate the expression pattern driven by the p-MAWS42 promoter. FIG. 20 is a diagram of RTP1052. Sequence of the binary vector RTP1052 is shown in FIGS. 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, 21F, and 21G, combined.

The 1492 bp promoter fragment of p-MAWS45 was amplified by PCR, incorporating a SwaI restriction enzyme site at its 5′ end and a BsiWI site at its 3′end. The resulting fragment was digested and ligated into a SwaI and BsiWI digested BPS basic binary vector CB1006. Plasmid CB1006 is a plant transformation vector that comprises a plant selectable marker expression cassette (p-Ubi::c-ZmAHASL2::t-NOS) as well as a promoter evaluation cassette that consists of a multiple cloning site for insertion of putative promoters via SwaI and BsiWI sites, rice MET1-1 intron to supply intron-mediated enhancement in monocot cells, GUS reporter gene, and NOS terminator. The resulting binary vector comprising the p-MAWS45::i-MET1::GUS::t-NOS expression cassette was named as RTP1057, and was used to evaluate the expression pattern driven by the p-MAWS45 promoter. FIG. 22 is a diagram of RTP1052. Sequence of the binary vector RTP1057 is shown in FIGS. 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 23E, 23F, and 23G combined.

Promoter Evaluation in Transgenic Maize with RTP1052 or RTP1057

The expression patterns and levels driven by promoters p-MAWS42 or p-MAWS45 were measured using GUS histochemical analysis following the protocol in the art (Jefferson 1987). Maize transformation was conducted using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. Ten and five single copy events for T0 and T1 plants were chosen for the promoter analysis. GUS expression was measured at various developmental stages:

1) Roots and leaves at 5-leaf stage

2) Stem at V-7 stage

2) Leaves, husk and silk at flowering stage (first emergence of silk)

3) Spikelets/Tassel (at pollination)

5) Ear or Kernels at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 days after pollination (DAP)

The results indicated that both promoter p-MAWS42 of RTP1052 and promoter p-MAWS45 of RTP1057 expressed specifically in pollen and in whole seeds (FIGS. 24 and 25 ).

TABLE 11 Summary of tested tissues and relative expression intensities for pMAWS42 Tissues Stages tested Leaf Root Stem husk silk Spikelets/Tassel/pollen un-pollinated cob pollinated cob embryo endosperm seedling (5-leaf) − − V-7 Flowering (emergence of silk) − − − − pollination + 5 DAP + 10 DAP ++ + 15 DAP +++ ++ 20 DAP +++ ++ 25 DAP +++ ++ 48 hrs after imibibition ++++ +++ 72 hrs after imibibition ++++ +++ 1 week germination − − − = no expression, + = weak expression, ++ = medium expression, +++ = strong expression, ++++ = very strong expression

TABLE 12 Summary of tested tissues and relative expression intensities for pMAWS45 Tissues Stages tested Leaf Root Stem husk silk Spikelets/Tassel/pollen un-pollinated cob pollinated cob embryo endosperm seedling (5-leaf) − − V-7 Flowering (emergence of silk) − − − − pollination + 5 DAP + 10 DAP + ++++ 15 DAP ++ ++++ 20 DAP ++ ++++ 25 DAP ++ ++++ 48 hrs after imibibition ++ +++ 72 hrs after imibibition ++ +++ 1 week germination − − − = no expression, + = weak expression, ++ = medium expression, +++ = strong expression, ++++ = very strong expression

Example 3

The sequence of the pKG86 promoter (SEQ ID NO: 1) was searched for short open reading frames which may confer allergenicity or toxicity using a database comprising allergenic and toxic peptides and polypeptides. Short open reading frames were identified showing homology to peptides or polypeptides comprised by said database. In order to avoid expression of peptides which may be toxic or allergenic, the sequence of pKG86 was modified. The resulting promoters pKG86_12A (SEQ ID NO: 129), pKG86_14A (SEQ ID NO: 130) and pKG86_15A (SEQ ID NO:131) were operably linked to a reporter gene and transformed into Zea mays for expression analysis. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A polynucleotide comprising: (i) an expression control sequence which allows for seed specific expression in a plant of a nucleic acid sequence of interest being operatively linked thereto, said expression control sequence being selected from the group consisting of: (a) an expression control sequence comprising the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 123 or 124, (b) an expression control sequence comprising a nucleic acid sequence that has at least 97% nucleic acid sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 124, and (c) an expression control sequence comprising a nucleic acid sequence that has at least 97% nucleic acid sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 123; and (ii) at least one nucleic acid sequence of interest operatively linked to and heterologous to the expression control sequence, and wherein the expression control sequence allows for specific expression of the at least one nucleic acid sequence of interest in the whole seed of a monocotyledonous plant.
 2. The polynucleotide of claim 1, wherein said polynucleotide further comprises a first intron of a plant gene encoding a Metallothionin 1 polypeptide.
 3. A vector comprising the polynucleotide of claim
 1. 4. The vector of claim 3, wherein said vector is a T-DNA vector.
 5. A host cell comprising: (a) the polynucleotide of claim 1; or (b) a vector comprising the polynucleotide of claim
 1. 6. The host cell of claim 5, wherein said host cell is a monocotyledonous plant cell.
 7. A transgenic monocotyledonous plant or monocotyledonous plant seed thereof comprising: (a) the polynucleotide of claim 1; or (b) a vector comprising the polynucleotide of claim
 1. 8. A method for expressing a nucleic acid sequence of interest in a host cell comprising (a) introducing the polynucleotide of claim 1 or a vector comprising said polynucleotide into the host cell; and (b) expressing the at least one nucleic acid sequence of interest in said host cell.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said host cell is a monocotyledonous plant cell.
 10. A method for expressing a nucleic acid sequence of interest in a monocotyledonous plant or monocotyledonous seed thereof comprising: (a) introducing the polynucleotide of claim 1 or a vector comprising said polynucleotide into a monocotyledonous plant or monocotyledonous seed thereof; and (b) expressing at least one nucleic acid sequence of interest in said monocotyledonous plant or monocotyledonous seed thereof.
 11. The polynucleotide of claim 2, wherein said first intron comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 119. 12. The polynucleotide of claim 1, wherein the expression control sequence comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 123. 13. The polynucleotide of claim 1, wherein the expression control sequence comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
 124. 14. The vector of claim 3, wherein the expression control sequence comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 123 or SEQ ID NO:
 124. 15. The host cell of claim 5, wherein the expression control sequence comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 123 or SEQ ID NO:
 124. 16. The transgenic monocotyledonous plant or monocotyledonous plant seed of claim 7, wherein the expression control sequence comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 123 or SEQ ID NO:
 124. 17. The method of claim 8, wherein the expression control sequence comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 123 or SEQ ID NO:
 124. 18. The method of claim 10, wherein the expression control sequence comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 123 or SEQ ID NO:
 124. 